Starkit's Prophecy Redux: (Rough Draft)
by Queen Ayla
Summary: Starpaw is the daughter of a former rogue, and believes that she is destined for greatness. However, it seems as though fate has other plans, as the clans seemed poised for destruction. As everything around her crumbles, can she rely on the good of other cats, or will everything she knows fall apart? (AKA, revision fanfic of a trollfic) (inspired by xdarkrosesx)
1. Allegiances

Allegiances

 **Thunderclan**

 **Leader** : Firestar- Ginger tabby tom with green eyes (Abyssinian)

 **Deputy** : Graystripe- Grey tabby tom

 **Medicine** **Cat** : Leafpool- Pale brown tabby with amber eyes. _Apprentice: Jayfeather- pale gray tabby, blind_

 _ **Warriors**_

Sandstorm- Pale ginger she-cat.

Dustpelt- Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Cloudtail- Long-haired white tom with white eyes. _Apprentice- Redpaw_

Brackenfur- Golden-brown tabby tom.

Squirrelflight- Dark ginger tabby she-cat with white paw.

Brightheart- White and ginger she-cat. _Apprentice- Lakepaw_

Thornclaw- Golden-brown tabby tom with amber eyes. _Apprentice- Briarpaw_

Lionblaze- Golden tabby tom.

Sorreltail- Pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with white patches.

Cinderheart- Grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Foxleap- Reddish-brown tabby tom.

Icecloud- Snowy-white she-cat.

Spiderleg- Long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes.

Birchfall- Light brown tabby tom.

Berrynose- Cream-colored tom.

Hazeltail- Small gray-and-white she-cat. _Apprentice- Blossompaw_

Mousewhisker- Gray-and-white tom. _Apprentice- Bumblepaw_

Toadstep- Black-and-white tom.

Rosepetal- Dark cream she-cat.

 _ **Apprentices**_

Briarpaw- Dark brown she-cat.

Blossompaw- Tortoiseshell and white she-cat.

Bumblepaw- Pale gray tom with black stripes.

Redpaw- cream tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Lakepaw- Blueish-gray she-cat with white splotches.

 _ **Queens**_

Ferncloud- Pale gray she-cat with green eyes, pregnant with Dustpelt's kits.

Daisy- Cream-furred she-cat from the horseplace.

Dawnfur- Cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former rogue. _(Kits: Redpaw, Starkit- silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes)_

 _ **Elders**_

Longtail- Pale brown tabby tom, retired early due to failing sight

Mousefur- Dusky brown tabby she-cat

Purdy- ragged brown tabby tom, former loner

 **Shadowclan**

 **Leader** : Blackstar- Large white tom with huge jet-black paws.

 **Deputy** : Russetfur- Dark ginger she-cat.

 **Medicine** **Cat** : Littlecloud- Very small tabby tom. _Apprentice: Flametail- Ginger tom._

 _ **Warriors**_

Oakfur- Small brown tom. _Apprentice- Ferretpaw_

Rowanclaw- Ginger tom

Smokefoot- Black tom

Toadfoot- Dark brown tom

Applefur- Mottled brown she-cat

Crowfrost- Black-and-white tom

Ratscar- Brown tom with long scar across his back. _Apprentice- Pinepaw_

Snowbird- Pure white she-cat

Tawnypelt- Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. _Apprentice- Starlingpaw_

Olivenose- Tortoiseshell she-cat

Owlclaw- Light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot-Gray she-cat with black feet

Scorchfur- Dark gray tom

Redwillow- Mottled brown and ginger tom

Tigerheart- Dark brown tabby tom

Dawnpelt- Cream-furred she-cat

 _ **Apprentices**_

Ferretpaw- Cream-and-gray tom

Starlingpaw- Ginger tabby tom.

Pinepaw- Black she-cat

 _ **Queens**_

Kinkfur- Tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles

Ivytail- Black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

 _ **Elders**_

Tallpoppy- Long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

Cedarheart- Dark gray tom

Snaketail- Dark brown tom with tabby-striped tail

Whitewater- White she-cat with long fur, blind in one eye

 **Riverclan**

 **Leader** : Leopardstar- unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

 **Deputy** : Mistyfoot- gray she-cat with blue eyes

 **Medicine Cat** : Mothwing- dappled golden she-cat. _Apprentice- Willowshine- pale gray tabby she-cat._

 _ **Warriors**_ :

Reedwhisker- Black tom. _Apprentice- Hollowpaw_

Rippletail- Dark gray tabby tom

Graymist- Pale gray tabby. _Apprentice- Troutpaw_

Mintfur- Light gray tabby tom

Icewing- White she-cat with blue eyes

Minnowtail- Dark gray she-cat. _Apprentice- Mossypaw_

Pebblefoot- Mottled gray tom. _Apprentice- Rushpaw_

Mallownose- Light brown tabby tom

Robinwing- Tortoiseshell-and-white tom

Beetlewhisker- Brown-and-white tabby tom

 _ **Apprentices**_ :

Hollowpaw- Dark brown tabby tom

Troutpaw- Pale gray tabby she-cat

Mossypaw- Brown-and-white she-cat

Rushpaw- Light brown tabby tom

 _ **Queens**_ :

Duskfur- Brown tabby she-cat

Mosspelt- Tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

 _ **Elders**_ :

Blackclaw- Smoky-black tom

Voletooth- Small brown tabby tom

Dawnflower- Pale gray she-cat

Dapplenose- Mottled gray she-cat

Pouncetail- Ginger-and-white tom

 **Windclan**

 **Leader** : Onestar- Brown tabby tom

 **Deputy** : Ashfoot- Gray she-cat

 **Medicine** **Cat** : Kestrelflight- Mottled gray tom

 _ **Warriors**_ :

Crowfeather- Dark gray tom

Owlwhisker- Light brown tabby tom. _Apprentice- Whiskerpaw_

Whitetail- Small white she-cat

Nightcloud- Black she-cat

Heavystep- Light brown tabby tom.

Gorsetail- Very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Weaselfur- Ginger tom with white paws

Harespring- Brown-and-white tom

Leaftail- Dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Antpelt- Brown tom with one black ear

Emberfoot- Gray tom with two dark paws

Heathertail- Light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes. _Apprentice- Furzepaw_

Breezepelt- Black tom with amber eyes. _Apprentice- Boulderpaw_

Sedgewhisker- Light brown tabby she-cat

Swallowtail- Dark gray she-cat

Sunstrike- Tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead

 _ **Apprentices**_

Furzepaw- Gray-and-white she-cat

Boulderpaw- Large pale gray tom

Whiskerpaw- Light brown tom

 _ **Queens**_

None

 _ **Elders**_

Tornear- Tabby tom

Webfoot- Dark gray tabby tom

 **Others**

Jazz- Dark ginger tabby loner she-cat (Abyssinian)

Hawkfrost- Dark brown tabby tom rogue with white chest and icy blue eyes

Chillfang- Pretty white she-cat rogue with blue eyes, pregnant with Hawkfrost's kits. (Javanese)

Peach- Long-furred cream tabby she-cat with curled ears (American Curl)

Sol- Tortoiseshell tom rogue

Kelsie- Chocolate Tortoiseshell she-cat (York Chocolate)

Steel- Handsome dark gray tom with white spotting and blue eyes


	2. Chapter One: An Apprentice Made

A warm breeze blew through the camp, and with it came the scent of rain. Starkit yawned and turned onto her side. It hadn't rained in a while now, and the soft _pitter-patter_ always helped her sleep better. Outside the nursery warriors milled about, her clan buzzing happily in the late morning. She hummed and curled up a bit tighter, fur brushing against her mother's.

Dawnfur stirred. "Awake already, dear?" she murmured, pulling Starkit closer. Starkit nodded, relaxing into her mom's gentle touch. Dawnfur groomed her, quietly making small talk.

"Do you think you're ready? You know you can always wait a few more days."

Starkit huffed. Not this again! Her mother worried too much. "I've been ready for a long time. I'm tired of staying in the nursery."

Dawnfur sighed, burrowing her muzzle into Starkit's fur. "You know why you had to stay a few more days, right?"

Starkit didn't say anything. She didn't have to. She was smaller than her sister, the runt of the litter, and her mother didn't want to lose her baby just yet. She wanted to be mad at Dawnfur, that she was trying to keep her from finally growing up, but even if she were, it wouldn't change anything. Her mother had become fiercely protective of her and her sister after Burntkit and Gorsekit, their brothers, had died of greencough three moons ago. Her sister Redpaw, as fiery in nature as the sunset, had been apprenticed a moon ago, leaving her alone with her mother, Daisy, and Ferncloud in the nursery. Occasionally Redpaw would come and visit her, bringing a small piece of fresh-kill she had hunted up, but no one else wanted to be around her mother. Which, of course, was ridiculous. She was as loyal as any cat, and willing to prove herself. Starkit would prove that to them.

Dawnfur shifted, and she gently released Starkit. "Oh, my little star. I wish I could keep you with me forever. But as my mother let me go, so must I you." She stretched and stood up. "I talked to your leader last night. Let's get you some breakfast before I have to give you up."

Starkit nodded, and ran outside before her mother could catch her. Near the fresh-kill pile, Thornclaw, Brightheart, and Squirrelflight sat and chatted. As she approached, Squirrelflight saw her, and called out to her. "Ah, there you are!" she purred, opening a spot in the conversation for her. The other two cats stiffened for a moment, then purposely relaxed their shoulders and nodded. Starkit nodded her thanks and took the spot between the two she-cats. Squirrelflight licked her head with affection. "You ready for your big day?"

"Hah! I was born ready," Starkit boasted.

Thornclaw frowned. "Don't go acting older than you are, kit. You still have a lot to learn."

"Oh?" Brightheart teased. "If I recall correctly, you were quite eager to grow up yourself, Thorn _paw_." Thornclaw stammered and tried to defend himself as his clanmates laughed.

Squirrelflight hummed, flicking her tail absentmindedly. "Now, no matter who your mentor is, you are to be respectful towards them, alright? They're gonna be the ones who teach you what you need to know in order to survive."

Starkit nodded. "I hope it's Birchfall. I've heard he's nice."

Thornclaw nodded, flicking his tail. "Birchfall is still a bit young. Now, if I could choose, I would want an older cat, perhaps Sandstorm or Dustpelt. They have experience to share with you, and a lifetime of wisdom to give."

"Well, whoever trains you, it'll take a long time, and you won't enjoy all of it." Brightheart yawned. Starkit suppressed a twinge of discomfort at the warrior's face, scarred skin stretched over the broken skull. She didn't know how Brightheart had received the wound, and she didn't feel inclined to ask. "Still, it is an unparalleled experience, growing from kit to warrior."

Thornclaw huffed. "At least you'll be trained, unlike that mother of yours." Starkit bit back an indignant retort. How dare he! _Momma can fight and hunt just as well as you, fox-face._

Squirrelflight frowned. "Thornclaw, that was uncalled for."

"It's true, though."

"So? Daisy's not trained."

"That's completely different. Daisy at least pulls her weight."

Luckily for her, Brightheart came to her mother's rescue. "That's enough out of the both of you. Thornclaw, Dawnfur does pull her weight. She just does it differently, that's all. Would you fault Millie's way of doing things?"

Thornclaw huffed. "I suppose you have a point. Just wish I knew why she came here in the first place."

Brightheart grunted. "Well, enough about all that. I don't want to hear about it again, alright? Y'know, the gathering is in a few days. It's a bit overwhelming once you get there, but you get used to it all."

Squirrelflight chuckled. "Oh, remember a few moons back when Riverclan were introducing their new apprentice, and he was soaking wet? Poor thing fell off the bridge."

"Not so waterproof then, huh? What was his name?"

"I think it was Hollowpaw."

Brightheart nodded. She plucked up a mouse and pushed it towards Starkit. "Eat up. You'll want plenty of energy for today." Starkit nodded her thanks and bit into the fresh-kill, warmth flooding her mouth. She dug in, having to stop at one point from coughing up a bite too big.

Thornclaw stretched, extending his claws reflexively. "Well, my patrol leaves soon. I'd better go get Briarpaw and Berrynose ready, too." He padded off towards the warriors' den.

Squirrelflight's eyes flickered to Firestar as he climbed up to the ledge. "Ah, look's like the meeting's about to start. Are you ready?"

Starkit nodded, scrambling to her feet. Finally!

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Highrock for a clan meeting!" Firestar called. Starkit felt as though lightning raced beneath her pelt. She took her place near High Rock, next to her mother.

Dawnfur huffed and pulled her closer, giving her a once-over grooming. Starkit squirmed impatiently in her paws. "Momma, I look fine! Quit fussing!" To her left, Redpaw and Lakepaw laughed softly, the two friends amusing themselves. Starkit threw a glare at the two.

Firestar cleared his throat, drawing the clan's attention. "The time has come for an apprentice to become a warrior. Lakepaw, step forward." Lakepaw bounded up the rock, beaming. "I, Firestar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this Apprentice. She has proven her worth and skill, and she has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a Warrior in her turn." He smiled down at her, eyes filled with gentle pride. "Lakepaw, do you promise to uphold the Warrior Code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Lakepaw nodded. "I do."

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your Warrior name. Lakepaw, from this moment you will be known as Lakeflower. StarClan honors your compassion and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan."

Lakeflower licked Firestar's shoulder, and the clan shouted out, "Lakeflower! Lakeflower! Lakeflower!"

Lakeflower hopped back down, making her way over to Redpaw. "Just you wait, Lakeflower." Redpaw purred and pressed her cheek to Lakeflower's chest. "I'll be a warrior before you know it."

Lakeflower purred. "I can't wait."

Firestar waited for the noise to die down, before he continued. "In other news, it is time for a new apprentice to join the clan. Starkit, step forward." A murmur went through the clan- no doubt superstitious of her name- but Starkit didn't care. She bounded forward, stumbling over her paws. Her face felt hot as she heard a few cats snicker. She straightened herself and took a deep breath, looking up at her leader.

Firestar smiled down at her gently. "Starkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Starpaw. I ask StarClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the wisdom and courage of a warrior."

Starpaw waited for her new mentor to step up, but instead, Firestar plunged forward with the ceremony. "It has been many moons since I last had an apprentice, and now I will teach you and guide you, as Bluestar once taught me. I can only hope that I train you well, and that you will prove yourself a fine warrior."

The clan was silent for a moment in shock. Then Squirrelflight called out, "Starpaw! Starpaw!" Jayfeather and Dustpelt joined her, and then the rest of the clan with them. Starpaw herself couldn't believe it. Firestar! He had trained Cloudtail and Brambleclaw before, and both of them had been great warriors. _I'll prove myself to him! I swear it upon Starclan._ She licked his shoulder with respect, and whispered in his ear. "I won't disappoint you, Firestar."

He chuckled. "I'm sure of that. Now, go join your sister."

Starpaw nodded and hopped back down, puffing her chest out with pride. "Well, I'm finally an apprentice!" she boasted, headbutting her sister affectionately.

Redpaw returned the gesture, licking her ear gently. "Now I can finally show you the best places to hunt."

Firestar waited a moment for the noise to die down before plunging forward. "Jayfeather has informed me that a diseased mouse was found near the old twoleg path. No cat is to hunt near there for at least a moon, and if you find another piece of prey like it, report this to me or Graystripe immediately." Firestar took one last look around the clearing, and then nodded. "That is all. Clan dismissed." He hopped down, grunting slightly in pain as he reached the ground.

Dawnfur padded over, a bittersweet expression on her face. "So this is it," she sighed. "Both my children, growing up and making their pawprints in the world." She briefly glanced to where Lionblaze and Jayfeather were talking, before turning back to her daughters. "How do you feel?" she asked quietly.

"I can't wait to be a warrior!" Starpaw chirped with excitement.

Redpaw nodded with her sister. "We'll make you proud, Mom."

Dawnfur smiled. "You already have." The two sisters groaned as their mother embraced them tightly.

"Redpaw! C'mon!" Lakeflower called, pacing near the entrance to camp. Redpaw quickly stood up and, saying her goodbyes, raced over to her friend. Starpaw watched her, tail twitching.

Dawnfur sighed, curling her tail around her daughter's shoulders. "I think your mentor is waiting for you," she murmured. "You'd best go with him, before I take you into the nursery again and never let you go."

" _Mooom_ ," Starpaw whined, but with the nudge of her mother, she went running up to Firestar. She fluffed up her fur. "So, when do we start?"

Firestar smiled wearily at her. "Well, if you really want to help…"

"Yes! What is it? I can do it, I know I can!"

Firestar chuckled. "We'll collect moss for the elders."

 _Moss? That's so boring!_ "Oh," she said, ears drooping slightly. "I just kinda thought-"

"That we'd start off with learning how to fight?"

"Yeah," she admitted. Her face felt hot. _He doesn't like me! He thinks I can't do this! I know I can-_

Firestar shook his head. "You're still young, and this will help you later on in combat. Come along, Starpaw." Firestar walked out of the camp, and Starpaw followed shortly after.

She blinked as she passed through the thorny entrance. It wasn't her first time out of the camp, but she was still struck by how different it was outside the stone walls she knew. The canopy overhead cast shadows onto the carpet of leaves, and a light breeze blew through the trees. She inhaled deeply, tasting the scents around her.

Firestar chuckled. "It's quite the experience, isn't it?" He flicked his tail to the side, to a small oak with clumps of lichen and moss clustered at the roots. "Do you see the moss growing on that tree? Let's see you get it off."

Starpaw nodded, unsheathing her claws. She imagined the moss as an enemy warrior, glaring at her with bared teeth. _You're mine, moss! I'll claw you to pieces!_ Striking quickly, she shred the moss off the bark. The piece that fell was small, and tough, but it was hers. She plucked up the ragged piece in her jaws, beaming at her mentor proudly.

Firestar hummed in thought. "Hmm, not bad for your first time. When you cut it off though, you should try for a closer cut, so that there's less detritus. As your claws get stronger, it'll become easier, and the patches will be larger and more even." Firestar tapped her jaw, and she dropped the piece. "Here, I'll show you how to carry it." Starpaw watched as he lay the piece of moss out. Then, gingerly, he pressed it flat, letting a bit of water leak out. He rolled it into a tight ball and pressed it under his chin. "This way, you can carry more, and it'll be drier when you get back to camp."

As the day progressed, the two gathered moss and chit-chatted. Starpaw talked about her mother, how she often ran into the woods in the middle of the night, coming back smelling like salt. She told him about how Redpaw had taught her a basic hunting crouch, tail level with the ground, paws spread to maintain balance. He would nod along and comment occasionally, but mostly he let her talk the day away.


	3. Chapter Two: Turn of Events

Starpaw shivered at a cool breeze that blew through. Overhead, clouds covered the sun, and the shadows cast from the trees had disappeared. Firestar noticed her fluffing out her fur, and smiled. "Why don't we head back to camp, alright?" Starpaw nodded gratefully, pressing the moss and rolling it like he had taught her. As the day had passed, her pieces had grown less patchy and more even. They had collected a lot, and even though her claws were sore, she was proud of the work she had done.

As they approached camp, she and Firestar met with the returning patrol. Squirrelflight and Firestar briefly talked about what the patrol had found, and then they continued home. Starpaw fell in with Briarpaw, the brown she-cat chatting pleasantly with her. "You have fun on your first day?" she asked. Starpaw nodded, eyes on the warriors in front of them. They walked with a sort of confidence about them, shoulders relaxed. She tried to copy them, squaring her chest and puffing out her chest. Briarpaw laughed. "What are you doing, you fluff-fur?"

Starpaw's face flushed. "Shut up!" Briarpaw only chuckled and returned to what she was doing.

"Oh honey, we all know what's going on here." Whitewing had lagged behind a bit, and she patted Starpaw's head gently. "Someone's got a ~crush," she cooed.

Starpaw was sure that from Whitewing's point of view, she must be looking at her like she had three heads. _A crush?_ "You've been rolling in catmint, Whitewing. None of the toms in this clan are cute."

"Hey! Birchfall's quite the handsome tom." Whitewing flicked her ears and sighed happily. "Either way, sooner or later you'll find that romance will be the only thing on your mind. It happens to every cat."

"Not me," Briarpaw shrugged.

"Oh, hush." Whitewing playfully cuffed her ear. Briarpaw tried to return the gesture but nearly tripped over a root. Starpaw laughed and raced ahead of them a bit, keeping pace with her mentor.

Firestar's gaze flickered to her. "Oh, what is it, Starpaw?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"Nothin'. Just wanted to stay near you."

Firestar smiled. "You'll have plenty of time to be a warrior when you're grown. For now, just cherish being an apprentice, and you'll be fine." As they reached the camp, Firestar slowed a bit, leaning down to whisper to Starpaw. "I smell Shadowclan. Probably a diplomatic patrol. Be on your best behavior."

Starpaw's fur bristled. _Shadowclan!_ She inhaled deeply, trying to identify the scent. She smelled a hint of pine and smoke, and something sour she didn't recognize. She ran to Briarpaw, ignoring her protests to give her a quick once-over with her tongue. "Hush! Now do me." Briarpaw grumbled, but did as she was told, and the two entered the camp.

The pine smell was much stronger, and came from two cats Starpaw had never seen before. The first, a broad-shouldered white tom with black paws and scars across his body, was quietly talking to Graystripe. The second, a small ginger tom, was pacing with irritation. As the joint patrol entered camp, his eyes flickered up. He approached them, nodding with respect to Firestar. "Ah, finally. It's good to see you again, Firestar. I hope we find you well?"

Firestar nodded in return. "It's been a while, Flametail. We're doing quite well, in fact. How are Shadowclan?"

"Good, good. Ivytail's kits have been apprenticed, and they are turning into healthy warriors." Flametail turned to his muscled companion, who finished talking to Graystripe and padded over.

Firestar frowned. "What could be so urgent that you couldn't wait for the gathering, Blackstar?"

Blackstar frowned. His gaze was intense and commanding, and he gave Starpaw the impression that if he wanted to, he could kill her with little effort. His eyes briefly flickered over Starpaw, and she fought back to urge to recoil with fear. He huffed. "Is there somewhere more private we can talk?"

Firestar nodded. "Of course. Follow me." He flicked his tail. "Starpaw, take that moss to the elders' den. Mousefur will help you with what to do. Squirrelflight, you take your patrol to rest. You've earned it. Notify Rosepetal, she's leading the evening patrol." Squirrelflight nodded and padded off to the warriors' den, followed by Whitewing. Starpaw's curiosity spiked at just what the leaders could be talking about, but she did as she was told, brushing through the entrance to the elders' den.

Mousefur and Longtail lounged about, with Purdy telling some long, rambling story that the other two obviously weren't listening to. Starpaw waited until Mousefur saw her to approach. "Oh, thank goodness. I've been waiting forever for that new moss," she yawned, stretching idly. "Purdy, hush up for a moment. We have a visitor."  
Purdy purred and turned on his side. "Is it that new apprentice? Stormpaw, was it?"

"Get your fur out of your ears," Longtail growled half-heartedly. He picked up the clump of moss in the corner and brushed through the entrance, returning a moment later. "There we go. Now, you can fix our nests up, and then you'll be on your way."

"Oh, I don't know," Purdy sighed, flicking his tail. "I think I have a couple ticks that need cracking."

"You always think you have ticks. I'm not calling Jayfeather in here again, Purdy."

The two continued bickering as Starpaw fixed up their nests, aided by Mousefur, though she was mostly sure it was to make sure she didn't do it wrong. Satisfied, the elder sent her on her way, and Starpaw left the den as Purdy began telling yet another rambling story.

Starpaw grabbed a small rabbit from the fresh-kill pile and carried it back to the apprentice's den. Inside, Bumblepaw and Redpaw were talking about StarClan knows what. She sighed and sat in the nest closest to her sister.

"No, see, that's not what I asked. I'm not asking whether Riverclan would do it, I'm asking about how they would do it." Redpaw stopped talking, purring and butting heads with her sister as acknowledgement. "Hey, sis, vouch for me on this."

"On what?" she asked.

Bumblepaw interrupted Redpaw. "She thinks I'm stupid!" The tabby's fur bristled with irritation.

"I do not!" Redpaw countered.

"Yeah you do, you said so."

"No, I said your concept was stupid."

Starkit was growing irritated. "Okay, but what is it?"

Bumblepaw huffed and ignored her. "It could still work."

"Yeah, and I'm a kittypet princess."

"If they had enough prey, then they would."

"I'm not asking if they would, I'm asking how." Redpaw fluffed out her fur and purred. "Admit it, I've got you beat for once."

"You do not!" he whined. "I don't know how it would work, but it is possible. It's been done before."

"It'll never work!"

" _What_ could never work?" Starpaw snapped at the two.

Bumblepaw and Redpaw looked taken aback for a second, but Redpaw regained her composure first. "We were arguing about just how Riverclan could train foxes to attack us."

"That's not what I said, I said they could lure them into our territory! There's a huge difference."

"Really? What is it?"

"Well, Tigerstar led a pack of dogs to attack Thunderclan once. Same concept."

Redpaw glared at him. "Is not! Dogs are stupider than foxes, for one thing. Plus, foxes hunt alone whereas dogs hunt in a pack. Besides, Tigerstar's just a myth they tell kits to make them behave."

"That's not true and you know it!"

Starpaw didn't want to listen to this any longer. "I'm finding somewhere else to eat," she grumbled. She plucked up her prey and left the two alone in the den.

She glanced around camp for a moment. Birchfall and Whitewing were talking quietly near the warriors den, and she didn't want to bother them. She considered for a moment eating outside camp, but what if she ran into Firestar? He'd think she directly disobeyed him, and Starpaw wanted to leave a good impression. Finally, she headed towards the nursery.

She brushed through the entrance, the soft smell of lavender and milk emanating from the nests. In the calm air, little specks of dust floated and swirled with the twitch of a tail. Ferncloud was grooming her belly, round with pregnancy. "Hey, Ferncloud," she said softly, making sure to catch the queen's attention.

Ferncloud purred and settled back in her nest. "Hello dear. Are you looking for your mom?"

Starpaw shook her head. "No, just looking for a quiet place to eat." She dropped the fresh-kill and nudged it towards the queen. "Here- we can share."

Ferncloud nodded her thanks and took a careful bite. The two made steady work on the rabbit, occasionally stopping to chit-chat and make small talk.

"How many kits do you think you'll have?" Starpaw asked, grooming her paws. The prey was now a pile of cartilage and bones that she'd have to get rid of, but right now she was full-bellied and content

Ferncloud hummed and shrugged. "Perhaps three." Her eyes clouded with grief for a moment, and Starpaw remembered what Daisy had told her when she was still drinking her mother's milk. How Ferncloud had lost three of her children already, two of which were still kits when they went to StarClan, one still an apprentice. _So much tragedy in her life_ , she thought, pity for the queen filling her heart.

Ferncloud caught her gaze and glared at her. "I know what you must think of me. Pity doesn't do anyone any good."

Starpaw ducked her head. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Ferncloud sighed and licked her forehead gently. Starpaw kept still, stifling a purr in her throat at the maternal gesture. "I understand where you're coming from, but Dustpelt and I are happy together. No matter what happens, my mate and my friends will be by my side. Do you understand?" Starpaw nodded. Ferncloud pushed the rest of the carcass towards Starpaw. "Could you deal with this?"

Starpaw nodded again, flushing at the queen's words. She picked up the bones and left the camp, scurrying to a place just outside the clearing to bury what was left of the rabbit.

She stood still for a moment, letting the wind blow through her fur. She wasn't particularly keen on returning to camp just yet, and she had time until the sun set. So, with no destination in mind, she set off in a random direction.

As she walked, the trees grew thinner and farther apart. The smell of the woods mingled with the steady scent of wet earth, and the wind was fiercer. Eventually, she reached the edge of the woods. Beyond it lay hills and valleys, and who knew what else. Here, a strange scent clung to the bushes like fog, tangy and sickly. _Ew_. She turned and trot back into the forest.

She was about halfway back when she scented a thrush. She crouched and stalked forward, conscious to keep her tail still and parallel to the ground. She saw it a moment later, trying to pluck a worm from the roots. She shifted her weight and readied herself. The bird realized she was there a moment too late, and screamed in terror as she pounced, at first batting it out of the sky and then capturing it in her claws. It struggled ferociously, battering her with its broken wings, and Starpaw frantically bit at it until it stopped struggling. Starpaw sighed in relief and released the limp body.

 _Thank you for this meal, StarClan_. She plucked up the fresh-kill and swept away the feathers that had fallen. Her kill was sloppy, but she didn't care. _This'll be perfect! Now Firestar will be proud of me._ She set off once again, though a bit slower.

The sun crept lower and lower in the sky, and Starpaw began to get a bit nervous. She _definitely_ didn't recognize this part of the forest, and the trees were too close to see the sky. "Hello?" she called out, waiting to see if someone else could hear her. She waited a moment, but only the call of a bird broke the silence. "Hello? Can anyone hear me?"

The forest was eerily quiet, and she shivered as the wind ruffled her fur. Panic began to fill her, her throat closing tightly. Starpaw started running wildly, her eyes tearing up. "Help! Someone help, please!" She didn't even know what she was saying, just that she wanted someone, _anyone_ , to help her.

A stray root caught her foot, and she tumbled down a ledge, losing her prey in the process. She grunted as she caught her head on a rock, splitting her ear on the sharp edge. She landed with a shriek of pain, covered in mud and dust.

Starpaw took a few ragged breaths, her chest heaving as she tried to regain the air she had lost. After a minute, her head still hurt, but she felt well enough to stand, staggering her way to where the battered thrush lay, smashed and bloody against the ground. She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the destroyed fresh-kill. _All that work, and nothing to show for it._

Starpaw closed her eyes and tried to calm her mind, imagining the rolling call of thunder over the pain and ringing in her ears. Once she was satisfied, she took a step forward and opened her mouth to scent the air. Her pelt shook, and all she could smell was the rusted scent of dirt on her fur. _Starclan, send me some help,_ she pleaded.

"Hey!" Someone called, and she whipped her head around.

"I'm here! I'm coming!" Starpaw ran wildly at the voice, slamming into Lionblaze. She didn't even think as she pressed her face into his fur, shaking.

He stiffened but let her cling to his fur as she cried, shushing gently in an effort to calm her. "Hey, it's okay. C'mon, let's get back to camp. Can you walk?" Starpaw sniffled and nodded, wiping at her face with her paws. Lionblaze chuckled lightly. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

Starpaw stumbled along with Lionblaze. Now that she was safe, the adrenaline in her crashed to a low. She could barely keep her eyes open as she was escorted back to camp. Redpaw took her back to her nest, clucking like a mother bird. Starpaw collapsed in her nest and, taking one last moment to thank her ancestors for finally being home, fell into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter Three: Quiet Day

Starpaw watched as Lakeflower demonstrated the shoulder lock to the apprentices, moving forward slowly with feather-light footsteps. Her opponent, Hazeltail, mock-struggled against the hold, kicking out her back legs before relaxing. Redpaw leaned over and whispered to her, "She's really good, right?"

Starpaw nodded, only half-focused on the two warriors tussling. It had been a moon since she had been apprenticed, and when her little hunting trip led to a manhunt on her clan's part. As consequence, she had been forced to help Jayfeather and Leafpool in the medicine den for a quarter moon, though that had been more of a learning experience than a punishment. She had learned the difference between burdock and dandelion, and her trips gathering herbs with the two had helped her gain more of an understanding of the territory. Really, she was half sure that Firestar put her with them in an attempt to calm her, but the minute she was back out of the den, it was back to apprentice duties and bad decisions..

"Starpaw? Are you even listening?" Lakeflower asked. Starpaw snapped out of her thoughts and nodded. Lakeflower looked at her skeptically, but sighed and turned away. "I said that you'll partner up with Blossompaw for this. Decide who'll go first, and then you'll show us how well you've been paying attention."

 _Mouse-dung_! She gulped and turned to Blossompaw, the tortoiseshell smiling mischieveously. "I'll go first, alright?" she said, flicking a dapple paw towards Starpaw. Starpaw braced herself and closed her eyes.

Blossompaw pounced and grabbed her shoulders, toppling Starpaw to the ground. The two tussled for a second, Starpaw kicking out wildly. Then, an idea came to her. She quickly twisted onto her back and latched onto Blossompaw's shoulders with her teeth, forcing her opponent to roll with her. Once Blossompaw was on her back, she leapt off, landing clumsily a few tail-lengths away. Starpaw hissed, her shoulder stinging.

Hazeltail looked bewildered. "What? What is it?" she asked. Blossompaw stood up and shook herself off, before padding over to her side.

"Well, I don't know what you did, but now my back is sore," she commented, bumping Starpaw gingerly.

Lakeflower stormed over angrily. "Starpaw, there's a reason we were working on the shoulder lock before working on blocking it. You might have gotten free, but you could have seriously hurt yourself! Please, promise me that from now on you'll pay attention and stay safe."

Starpaw's face burned with embarrasment. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. Lakeflower sighed and pat her head softly.

"C'mon, let's try that again. This time, I'll show you how to actually get out that hold." Lakeflower flicked her tail, and the apprentices followed her expectantly. "Starpaw, try that hold on me, alright?"

Starpaw nodded, lowering into her best hunting crouch. She prowled forward, keeping her tail still and steady. She wiggled her hips and pounced. Lakeflower grunted as she made contact, but before Starpaw could get a good grip, Lakeflower reared up on her hind legs and slammed back down roughly onto her side, dislodging Starpaw. Luckily, the warrior caught her before she hit the ground, though it did still hurt. Lakeflower smirked. " _That_ is how you escape."

Starpaw nodded, turning back to Blossompaw. Her partner nodded and pounced, grabbing her shoulders roughly. Starpaw reared up just like how she saw Lakeflower do. As she started to fall back, she suppressed the panic in her chest and allowed herself to drop, trapping Blossompaw underneath her. Blossompaw wriggled out, fur fluffed out with excitement. "My turn! Do me, do me!"

The two went back and forth, pouncing and escaping. After a few minutes, Lakeflower smiled and stepped between the two apprentices. "That's enough for now. Blossompaw, you hurry off to your patrol now. Bring me back a tasty mouse, alright?" Blossompaw chuckled and nodded, scampering off to where Hazeltail was waiting for her. Lakeflower turned to Starpaw. "Starpaw, head back to camp and ask Graystripe for an assignment. I'm sure he has something for you to do."

Starpaw nodded and turned, running off towards camp. She slowed as she reached the entrance, the brambles catching slightly on her fur. She wriggled through and scanned the camp, spotting Graystripe talking quietly with Firestar. She padded over and sat quietly, waiting for the two to finish talking. _Back straight, tail over your paws, attentive but not creepy_.

Firestar spotted her and smiled. "Hello, Starpaw. Are you finished training?"

Starpaw nodded. "Lakeflower told me to seek you out, Graystripe."

"Hmm," Graystripe hummed, flicking his tail. "Well, I can't think of anything right now, but I'm sure the elders have something for you to do. Go talk to Longtail."

Starpaw nodded and headed to the elders den. "May I come in?" She asked at the entrance.

There was a moment's pause, then Purdy yelled back, "Come on in, dear." She pushed through the mossy entrance, only to almost trip over where Mousefur was lying. She braced herself for a scolding, but instead Mousefur just purred and flicked her ears.

Purdy purred and beckoned her forward with his tail. "Don't you just feel wonderful today?" he asked. His breath smelled of mint, and his pupils were blown wide. He batted at a speck of dust in the air, falling onto his back. _Oh no._

"... What herbs did Leafpool give you?" she asked.

Longtail huffed in the corner. Of the three, he looked the most normal. He growled and stalked over. "She said that the catmint was going bad, so she gave the rest to us." Longtail gingerly stepped over Mousefur. "I'm just lucky that I got the least."

Starpaw nodded sympathetically. _Two moons of fermenting must have made it stronger._ "Do you want me to do anything?"

Longtail hummed, his blind eyes gazing at the ceiling. "Well, I have been wanting to take a stroll in the forest. Why don't you 'escort' me?" he said, putting extra emphasis on the 'escort'.

The two padded out of the camp, Longtail sticking close to Starpaw. As he brushed through the entrance, he sighed and turned his face to the sun. Starpaw smiled and continued to lead the elder down a path Leafpool had shown her, one that led to a small copse where the wind off the lake blew through your fur.

Longtail flattened against the cool earth, the sunlight rippling on his lean fur. "Y'know, it's times like this that I think of Sunningrocks."

"Sunningrocks? Who's that?"

Longtail flicked his ears. "Not a who. A what. Back in the old forest, there was a place where huge gray sheets of rocks rose right out of the river. Riverclan and Thunderclan used to fight over them before we were forced to move."

Starpaw tried to imagine what he said. In her mind, it looked a bit like the walls of the camp, but darker. She growled and shook her head. "What's so special about a bunch of rocks?"

Longtail chuckled. "That 'bunch of rocks' used to belong to Riverclan, back when the river was higher. Only Riverclan could swim to them, so they had them. Then, one day, the river retreated, and Sunningrocks were part of Thunderclan. The rocks were rich with prey, and on sunny days you could just lay on the warm surface and feel yourself melt into the stones."

Starpaw sat quiet for a few moments with the elder, leaves rustling above them. Then, Starpaw asked, "Do you miss the forest?"

Longtail laughed humorlessly. "What kind of a question is that? Of course I do. It's where I was born, it's where I grew up, and it was my first home. And… I left some friends behind." He pat her head with his paw, smiling sadly. "Oh, if only you could have seen it, all of it. Fourtrees, the Moonstone, the River, all of it. It was beautiful."

Starpaw brushed his cheek with her tail. "I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?"

Longtail shook his head. "No, it's alright. It's not right to dwell on the past. It's just hard not to have feelings for where you came from." He stood up, shaking off a little. "Besides, I have something different now."

"What? What is it?"

Longtail laughed. "Isn't it obvious? My clanmates. My friends. Mousefur. I would never give up what I have now." He nudged the apprentice forward. "C'mon, let's head back home."


	5. Chapter Four: Blood and Water

**A/N: Trigger warning for discussion of emotional and verbal abuse, domestic abuse, and Dawnfur getting slapped across the face by her ex. If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, remember; it's not your fault. Get help. No one deserves it.**

 _Starpaw opened her eyes. The clearing she was in was covered in fog, not quite touching her, flowing into the woods surrounding it. As she stepped forward, it parted, dissipating lightly. She padded forward, edging towards the pines._

 _Suddenly, a bird's shriek echoed behind her. She whipped around, but the pines retreated, the clearing growing larger and larger. She growled and ran forward as the edge seemed farther and farther away, until finally she broke through the layers._

 _Starpaw grunted as she fell, brambles cutting at her fur. She pushed her way back up, but now she was stuck. She couldn't move without the thorns cutting deeper into her legs._

 _Then, through the mist, a she-cat she had never seen before pushed through the brambles. She was the color of leaf-fall, but she was dirty and mangy, ragged fur clinging to a skinny frame. She stumbled and fell in front of Starpaw, and the thorns retreated from her. Starpaw leaned closer and-_

"Wake up!" Starpaw jolted forward, colliding heads with Bumblepaw. There was some yowling and hissing as the two scrambled apart, and Starpaw rubbed at her head.

"I hate you," she grumbled.

Bumblepaw snorted. He flicked his tail and padded out of the den. "C'mon, your patrol is about to leave."

"Patrol?" she repeated, before she remembered. "Mousedung! I forgot!" She rushed out of the den, accidentally bumping into Redpaw, who was returning from training with Cloudtail. "Sorry, sorry!" she called behind her, scampering over to where Spiderleg, Brightheart, and Cinderheart waited for her.

"It's about time you showed up," Spiderleg grunted. "Come on, we're late as is."

Starpaw's ears flattened against her head. She followed the two warriors out, brushing through the entrance. Above her, the dark dusk sky was lit by the moon, its milky light pouring through the leaves. It was quieter now, all the prey returning to their dens. Starpaw sniffed the air hesitantly. On the night breeze was the scent of dew, and beyond that the pine of Shadowclan.

Cinderheart chuckled. "I don't think you've been to the Shadowclan border yet. You're in luck; we'll be taking our patrol along the north edge of it."

Starpaw nodded, but she was too busy thinking about her dream. Maybe it's from StarClan, she thought, turning her gaze to the starry sky. She imagined the ancient warriors of yestermoon looking down on her, smiling. "Hey, Brightheart?" she asked, scampering forward a bit to the she-cat.

"Yeah?"

"How do you know that Starclan exists?"

Brightheart hummed. "Well, obviously Firestar coming back to life several times kinda confirms it, yeah?" She chuckled at her joke, but stopped when she saw none of her companions laughing with her. "Um. Well, anyway, StarClan isn't some omnipresent force that controls our fates, no matter what you might think. They are our ancestors, and they are wise, but they can make mistakes. As for myself, I once visited the Moonstone, back in the forest before it was destroyed. It was…" she struggled for a moment to find the words to describe it. "It was awe inspiring."

"What did you do there?" Starpaw asked, invested in the story.

Brightheart chuckled. "In all honesty, I didn't do anything of note. Firestar dreamt next to the stone, but that's it. But StarClan is a part of my life. I feel them in the brush of warm breeze on my cheek as I patrol the territory. They are at my side as I rush into battle, and behind every mark I leave on my enemies. Even if my mate is not a cat of spirit, I know that StarClan watches over him as they watch over me."

Spiderleg flicked his ears. "Never knew you had such an eloquent tongue, Brightheart."

The she-cat shrugged. "It's true, though. Would you say any different, Spiderleg?"

The two warriors exchanged conversation, but Starpaw wasn't listening. She turned her gaze to the sky again, watching the bats flit above the treetops. She remembered what Leafpool had told her, the night before she would return to her apprentice duties.

 _"Every star in the sky was once a cat, you know. When I die, I will join them, along with all the friends and family I've left behind."_

 _Starpaw had flicked her ears. "But wouldn't the sky be cluttered with stars, then? Cats die all the time."_

 _Leafpool had chuckled. She licked Starpaw's ears gently, grooming her. "When a cat is forgotten by those still alive, they are reborn, thrust back into the world again. At least, that's my theory."_

 _"And what about the cats in stories? Like Thunderstar, or Shattered Ice? Won't they always be remembered?"_

 _"Not in the same way that knowing someone is." Leafpool sighed and lay on her back. "One day, you'll understand."_

"Starpaw!" The silver tabby jolted out of her thoughts. Cinderheart brushed shoulders with her, glancing down. "You okay there? You were drifting off."

"Sorry. Just thinking," she said sheepishly, her ears flattening against her head. The warrior shrugged and continued forward. Starpaw followed a tail-length behind, taking care to not wander off in her thoughts again.

After a little while, they reached a point where the piney smell of Shadowclan clung to the bushes. Cinderheart nodded towards the edge, where further out the oaks and birch gave way to marshy swamps. "Out there is Shadowclan. Rather prickly bunch, but loyal to their friends. Unlike some rabbit-chasers I could mention." Icecloud grumbled something under her breath about 'ungrateful' and 'greedy'.

Brightheart flicked her tail. "We'd best keep moving. Shadowclan tend to get rather touchy when we stick around too long, and I'd rather avoid a fight with them."

The group scouted northwards, passing by a worn two-leg path. Spiderleg nodded to the dirt trail, meowing offhandedly, "Smells like Jayfeather was by here yesterday. Must have been collecting herbs, or maybe thinking of new ways to yell at us."

Starpaw cocked her head. "What are you talking about? He never yells at me or Redpaw."

Cinderheart shrugged. "Lucky you, I guess. Sure is mean to your mother, though." She suddenly stiffened, fur standing on end. "Do you smell that?" she half-whispered, half-hissed to the other warriors.

Brightheart sniffed the air and nodded. "Loner tom. Not from around here. Be on your guard." The group prowled silently through the underbrush, skirting around a small bundle of thorns. Inside, Starpaw could see a bundle of gray fur inside, rising and falling slowly.

Brightheart moved to the entrance. She growled and prodded the loner. "Get up."

The loner jolted awake and blinked, before yawning loudly, tongue outstretched. He stepped out of his nest slowly. In the moonlight, Starpaw could see that he was quite handsome, his tabby fur contrasting against white paws. "Now, now. No need to be so rude," he drawled, slowly getting to his feet. He stretched slowly, before nodding to the she-cat. "I'm just looking for my mate, Dawn."

Brightheart pursed her lips. "We have a clanmate named Dawnfur, but she used to be named Dawn. Are you the father of her kits?"

The tom's face changed for a brief second into an expression Starpaw couldn't recognize, but then it settled again. "She never told me she was expecting. Can I see them?"

Spiderleg tapped her shoulder and hissed to her. "Don't say anything until we know he's not a threat." He flicked his tail, and the rest of the patrol stepped out of the underbrush. "We'll take you to see her, but after that you get out of our territory. And if you try anything…" He unsheathed his claws for effect.

The tom nodded. "I completely understand. Lead on."

Cinderheart led them, with Starpaw and Spiderleg at his sides and Brightheart rounding up the back. The tom made easy talk with Spiderleg, who mostly replied with a disinterested 'hm' or 'really?'. Starpaw, however, felt as though her pelt was going to fly off her body. Was it true? Could this really be her father? When she and Redpaw had asked before, back in the nursery, their mother had always deflecting, saying that it didn't matter, that the clan was their family. I have to tell Redpaw!

As they approached camp, Starpaw couldn't help herself. "CanigotalktoRedpawplease?" she asked, prying at the earth excitedly. Spiderleg looked at her funny, but nodded, and she shot off to the apprentice's den. "Redpaw!" she yelled.

Redpaw lifted her head and blinked. "Whaddya want?" she mumbled, running a paw over her ear.

Starpaw shook her roughly. "Would you wake your butt up and look at this?" she hissed.

Redpaw poked her head out of the den with Starpaw. "Okay, there's a loner. Am I supposed to be impressed or something?"

Starpaw shook her head. Right, she wasn't there. "He's Dawnfur's mate! That means-"

"He's our dad?"

Starpaw nodded frantically. "Where's mom?"

"She's in the nursery with Ferncloud. C;mon, we need to show her!"

The two sisters scrambled to the nursery. Inside, Ferncloud and Dawnfur were talking quietly. Ferncloud noticed the two and purred. "Hello, dears. Do you need to talk to your mother?"

Redpaw nodded. "Yeah! Starpaw found our father!"

Dawnfur's eyes flashed in fear, and then she hardened her gaze. She stood up and ushered the two sisters to Ferncloud. "Listen to me, the both of you. You stay with Ferncloud, and you don't leave her until I come and get you, alright? Not even Firestar can tell you to move." Then, she quickly rushed out.

What was that all about? Starpaw turned to Ferncloud. "Why is mom so upset? Shouldn't she be happy?"

Ferncloud sighed. "Look, girls. I shouldn't be doing this, but you deserve to know the truth." The pregnant queen rose and padded to the entrance, and the apprentices followed after her.

In the center of camp was Dawnfur, flanked by Jayfeather and Daisy. Cats were slowly waking up, poking heads out of dens. The loner tom growled and twitched his tail. "First you leave without saying goodbye, and now I find out that you've had my kits?"

"They're not your kits. They were never your kits." Dawnfur's fur prickled. The clan cats in the clearing stood at the edge, both wary of the stranger and ready to defend their clanmate if a fight broke out. Towards the edge of the crowd, Firestar was watching them from his den. He signalled to Starpaw for her to approach, but she shook her head. He nodded and turned away.

"So you're lying to me now? Is that it?" he growled.

"That's not true. Stop telling me what I'm doing."

"Why are you throwing such a fit?" He smoothed out his fur and hissed at her. "I've done nothing but love you, care for you, watch over you, all because you act like a child. After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me? Do you have any idea how long I've spent looking for you? I could have been killed, and now you're acting like an ungrateful bitch. If anything, you should be apologizing to me."

Starpaw's fur stood on end. _Why is he acting like this? He was so different when we walked here._ She turned to Redpaw, who looked shocked at the scene, and pressed her shoulder to her sister's for comfort. Redpaw broke out of her daze to sigh and nodded, turning back to the scene.

"I'm not going to apologize, Steel. I remember all the times when I would try to go on a walk, and you wouldn't let me leave my nest. I remember how terrified I was of making you angry. I thought that everything you did to me was my fault, that if I somehow did better, then you would treat me right. But no matter how often I changed myself, it was never enough."

Steel opened his mouth, but Dawnfur shut him down. "Let me finish! You always told me that you loved me, but you never listened to me. I was so afraid of you for so long that it felt like drowning. These cats," and she gestured to the clan, who murmured in assent, "make me feel home. They are my family. I'm allowed to be my own person, and I don't have to be afraid of them leaving me for making a mistake."

Dawnfur narrowed her gaze at the tom, who clawed at the ground. She stood and fixed him with a fierce stare. "You never loved me. You just wanted to possess me. I'm through with you, Steel. You don't scare me anymore."

"How dare you-"

Starpaw heard Firestar's voice, loud and clear, ring out through the clearing. "That is enough!" He prowled out of his den, claws unsheathed. "She doesn't want you here. Dawnfur is our clanmate, and so are her kits. And if you keep threatening our clanmate, all of Thunderclan will be against you. Do you really think that your words will rescue you from that?"

Steel's eyes flickered around the camp, before he sighed and hung his head. "Very well," he muttered. "At least let me see my children."

Daisy hissed and stepped forward. "You heard Dawnfur. They're not your kits. Now get out!"

Steel hissed back at her. "Stay out of this." He turned to Dawnfur and took a step towards her. "This is your fault."

Dawnfur held her head high. "No. You have no one to blame but yourself."

Steel hissed and whipped a paw out, scratching Dawnfur across the face, and Starpaw saw red. Dawnfur gasped in pain, but before she could retaliate, Redpaw and Starpaw shot forward. Redpaw yowled, "DON'T! HIT! MY! MOTHER!" and tackled the tom, Starpaw going for his tail. Cloudtail and Birchfall went for him, and together the four drove the tom back. Steel hissed and fled, pursued by Birchfall.

Dawnfur held a paw to her cheek. Starpaw whimpered and pressed her forehead to Dawnfur. Redpaw hung her head and started stammering. "I'm sorry, mom. I didn't mean to do it, I really didn't. But he hit you, and me and Redpaw, we didn't think first, and-" she stiffened as her mother wrapped a paw around her and Starpaw.

"Oh, my little mice. I could never be mad at you. It's just- I wish you didn't have to see that. You deserve better than that, that-"

"Pile of fox-dung?" Jayfeather volunteered.

Dawnfur laughed and nodded. "Yes. That pile of fox-dung." She sighed and flicked her tail. "It's nice to see that you don't hate me, after all."

Jayfeather huffed. "I don't know what you're talking about. Of course I hate you. Let me see your cheek. I don't want that cut getting infected, alright?"

Dawnfur nodded and removed her paw. Starpaw blinked and said, "Poppy and spiderwebs, right?"

Jayfeather nodded. "Two seeds only, and bring a thin web. Nothing too dense for this."

Starpaw grabbed the needed herbs and trotted out after a minute. The clearing was dispersing again, cats returning to their nests. Redpaw was still with her mother, along with Firestar and Jayfeather, but the rest of the clan were in their dens.

Firestar sighed and placed a paw on Starpaw's forehead gently. "That was a brave thing you two did, but a foolish one. You could have gotten hurt."

Starpaw's face felt hot. "I'm sorry, Firestar."

Her leader sighed and gently nudged her. "Redpaw, Starpaw, the both of you should head to sleep, alright?"

Redpaw nodded and padded off to the apprentice's den, Starpaw trailing behind. Starpaw nudged her sister gently. "Hey, Redpaw?"

"Yeah?"

"Do'ya think we're gonna end up like Steel?"

Redpaw shuddered. "I don't want to think about him. Let's just get some sleep, alright?"

Starpaw nodded. She settled down in her nest and sighed. And, as the wind rustled the branches above the camp, she fell into sleep once more.


	6. Chapter Five: The First of Many

Starpaw sighed and rubbed her head lazily. Above her, the sun was at its peak, and the camp was sweltering in the direct sunlight. The air was humid, and made her fur feel heavy and damp. Even the prey were slow, but no one wanted to hunt in this weather. Well, okay, that wasn't entirely true. Dawnfur and Redpaw had gone hunting, and Jayfeather was searching for herbs near the old twoleg nest. Even though the three had left early in the morning, they still hadn't come back by Sunhigh.

Cloudtail padded over and poked her. She ignored him, preferring to roll onto her side. Cloudtail sighed. "Come on, get up. You're not a kit anymore."

"It's too hot," she whined, curling into herself.

"So? The clan needs food. C'mon, we can stop by the lake to cool off."

Starpaw grumbled and got to her feet. She took careful steps to stay in the small pieces of shade, pushing through the camp entrance. She sighed as a lazy breeze brushed past her face, ruffling her fur. Now that she was in the forest, she noticed that the shade made it a bit more bearable. "Where do you want to hunt?" she asked, turning to the pale tom.

He turned his face to the wind and scented the air. "Let's check the Sky Oak. It should be isolated today, which means that the mice will be lazy." He grinned and held out a paw. "Shall we?"

Starpaw led the way, occasionally stopping to turn to Cloudtail for approval. As they approached the great oak tree, its boughs scraping the sky, an owl shrieked and flew from its perch. Cloudtail frowned. "That's odd. It's rare that an owl is out in the day. What do you think disturbed it?"

Before she could answer, something dropped at Starpaw's feet. She shrieked and stumbled backwards into Cloudtail, who hissed a few curses. In front of her lay a dead mouse, half-eaten and crawling in maggots. Starpaw's eyes widened. "It's a sign!" she whispered under her breath, heart pounding.

Cloudtail shook his head. "Nonsense. An owl just dropped its dinner because it was sickly." Even so, the tom looked unnerved.

Starpaw nodded, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was coming. "Maybe I should fetch Jayfeather. Didn't he say something about finding a rotten mouse?"

Cloudtail grunted. "Alright, but if you're not back soon, I'm just going to bury this and move on." He sighed and moved into the shade. "Be careful."

Starpaw nodded and rushed off towards the abandoned twoleg nest. She had to stop once or twice to catch her breath, but the shade and the wind in the forest helped keep her cool. She reached the entrance and yowled, "Jayfeather! Are you there?" She heard a thump, and a tom's voice cussed several times. Yup, that's him.

Jayfeather padded outside, grumbling under his breath. "Hello, Starpaw. I hope this is important?"

Starpaw nodded. "Cloudtail and I were hunting near the Sky Oak when an owl took flight. It dropped a rotten mouse at my paws, and it was full of maggots. The mouse, not the owl. Do you think it's a sign?"

Jayfeather's expression changed from one of annoyance to stoicism. "Take me to it."

The two rushed through the forest, Jayfeather holding onto Starpaw's tail as she navigated through the undergrowth. It took her a bit longer on the return trip with how many times the medicine cat tripped, but he otherwise kept pace.

Cloudtail was pacing irritatedly when he caught sight of them. The rotted mouse lay untouched, and even from the edge of the clearing Starpaw could smell the rot. Jayfeather pushed past her gently and padded up to the mouse. He sniffed and turned the mouse this way and that, and his expression darkened.

"We need to bury this." He dug a shallow hole and brushed the mouse in with his tail.

Cloudtail frowned and shook his head. "Should I tell the clan about this?" he asked.

Jayfeather thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, it would only worry them. I will tell Leafpool and Firestar about this, but no need to go blabbing about it." Cloudtail nodded and padded back towards camp.

Starpaw turned to the medicine cat. "There's more to it, isn't there." Even as she said it, she knew that the answer was a resounding 'yes'.

Jayfeather sighed and turned his face towards the lake, ignoring her. "Promise me you won't hurt them, Starclan," he murmured quietly.

Starpaw placed a paw upon his shoulder. "Jayfeather, what's going on?" she asked, worried.

Jayfeather smiled down at her. "Don't worry. This isn't your concern, alright? It could be about anyone." He nudged her gently, towards the camp. "I need to think. Go back to camp- rest."

Starpaw pouted, but she did as she was told, trotting back to camp. As she was returning, she scented a vole scurrying near the roots of an old tree. She smirked and prowled forward, footsteps light as a feather. The fat creature was chewing on a seed, too preoccupied with its food to notice her. Starpaw pounced and captured the vole in her jaws, shaking it quickly to break its spine. The warm taste of blood flooded her mouth, and a part of her smirked. Even in the heat, I managed to catch some prey. This will prove that I'm worthy to be an apprentice.

Satisfied with her catch, Starpaw allowed her mind to wander as she headed back to camp. Ferncloud's kits are due any day now. I wonder if she'll let me name one. Dustpelt had become quite protective of his mate in the past quarter moon, fretting over her every need. If anything, the lengths he and his older children went to in order to protect the new litter was quite sweet, if a bit terrifying in its devotion.

Speaking of Dustpelt, she thought as he padded past her. He smiled and nodded to her. "Hey, kiddo. Nice catch," he said, gesturing to the vole in her jaws.

Starpaw beamed and placed her kill down gently. "It's not much, but I hope Firestar will be proud of me. How's Ferncloud fairing?"

Dustpelt grinned and flicked his tail proudly. "She's doing wonderfully. Actually, since you mention it, I'm heading out to get some water for Ferncloud and the elders. You wanna come?"

Starpaw shook her head. "Jayfeather told me to stay in camp."

Dustpelt shrugged. "Suit yourself." He disappeared into the underbrush, dark pelt mingling with the shadows. For a brief second, Starpaw's pelt went cold, and she felt as though a cat was breathing down her neck. She shook her head and grabbed her fresh-kill, walking quickly into the sunny camp. Must've been my imagination.

Near the nursery, Ferncloud and Daisy sunned themselves. Starpaw placed her vole on the fresh-kill pile and padded over to the queens. She flopped down in the shade and sighed. "It's too hot," she sighed. "Why are you deliberately staying in the sunlight?"

Daisy shrugged. "Better than being cooped up in the nursery." Starpaw couldn't argue with that logic, so she sat with the queens. They chatted for a while, Starpaw commenting every now and then. _I can see the appeal of being a queen,_ she thought, laying with the two. _But a life of tending kits just doesn't have the same appeal._

It was close to sunset when Redpaw scrambled into camp, her fur soaking wet. Starpaw scrambled to her feet and rushed to her sister. "Redpaw, what happened?" she asked, licking at her sister's shoulder.

Redpaw shook her head, shivering. "There's no time to explain! Dawnfur and Dustpelt are hurt!"

Leafpool trotted over. "What's going on?" Leafpool asked, fear clouding her eyes.

"Near the lake! Follow me!"

The group ran as fast as they could, Redpaw at the front of it. As they ran, she explained the situation. "Dawnfur and I met Dustpelt when he was gathering water. We decided to go with him, but when we got there, the ground was loose, and we all fell into the lake. I was trapped, and Dustpelt swam under to save me, but he hit his head on something. I got out okay, but Dawnfur's paw was twisted at a weird angle from where she hit the rocks, and Dustpelt inhaled a lot of water, so Momma told me to fetch the medicine cat."

When they found them, Starpaw saw Dawnfur yowling for them. "We're over here! Hurry!" She limped around Dustpelt, lying motionless on the ground. Starpaw felt her heart seize up in her chest.

Leafpool raced past them and turned Dustpelt onto his back, pumping at his belly with her paws. Dawnfur paced nervously, her injured paw dripping in thin rivulets of blood. In a small part of Starpaw's mind, she noted that the small drops of blood falling onto the stones looked almost like crystals, all smooth and dark.

Leafpool stepped back, her gaze darkened. "He's gone. Dustpelt hunts with Starclan now."

Dawnfur turned her gaze to the ground. "If I had just been a bit faster…"

The medicine cat shook her head. "He was dead by the time I got here. Even with my efforts, there was nothing that could be done. At least his death came quickly." Leafpool grabbed Dustpelt- no, Dustpelt's corpse- by the scruff and began gingerly pulling it back to camp. Dawnfur helped her, limping a little with each step, and the apprentices followed quietly behind them.

They had almost reached camp when they met Firestar, followed shortly by . His gaze saddened, and he pressed his forehead to Leafpool's without a word. They brought the dead warrior to a place outside camp, where the ground was soft and wildflowers bloomed. Firestar turned to his apprentice. "We will hold vigil for Dustpelt here tonight, and in the morning we will bury him here. Go tell Ferncloud. She, of all cats, should know that he died a true warrior."

Before she could so much as move, she heard Ferncloud's scream, and the pregnant queen pushed herself through the camp entrance. "Where is he? Where is my mate?" she asked, fear coming off of her in waves. Then, she caught sight of his corpse. "No… Dustpelt… Our kits…" She broke into sobs and pressed her face to Dustpelt's side, trying to draw some comfort from his pelt.

Dawnfur placed a gentle paw upon her back, hushing quietly to the heartbroken queen. Firestar turned to Starpaw and ushered her gently into camp. "Come along now. Ferncloud deserves some privacy right now, away from prying eyes."

He walked her quietly to his den, where he lay in his nest. "How are you feeling right now?" he asked, flicking his ears to her.

Starpaw didn't know how to answer. At first, she had felt an almost cold fear, but now it was as though the forest itself had gone still. Finally, she settled upon an answer. "I feel numb. I mean, I shouldn't, because, my clanmate is dead!" She let out an anxious laugh, and her words sped up. "But I can't believe it, even though I know it's true. And I didn't even know him that well, but now he's dead, and- and-"

Firestar pressed his forehead to hers. "Slow your breathing. In, slowly, and now out, slowly. In, hold, out." She did as he instructed, feeling her nerves calm. He stretched back a little and looked her in the eyes, holding her gaze. "It's okay to have conflicting feelings. You're right in that you didn't know Dustpelt very well, but that doesn't mean you don't care about him."

Starpaw nodded, her eyes burning. "I know I'm supposed to feel bad. But I don't. Does that make me a bad person?"

Firestar shook his head. "No, of course not. You can't help what you feel." He looked out past his den, into the camp. Starpaw followed his gaze, where Daisy and Dawnfur were helping Ferncloud to the nursery, the queen's head drooping. Firestar sighed and stood up, his joints creaking slightly. "I'm going to go talk to Ferncloud. Get some rest, we'll be training early in the morning." With a parting flick of his tail, he left her alone in the den.

Starpaw stayed there for a little while, letting Firestar's words mull around in her head. Then, sighing, she shook out her pelt and padded to the medicine den, where Jayfeather was tending to Dawnfur's foot.

The queen hissed and spat at Jayfeather. "Stop doing that! It hurts, you mouse-brain."

"Of course it hurts. You sprained your paw," he growled. He grabbed a bright white flower and presented it to Starpaw. "Bindweed. Used to tie splints to wounds." To Dawnfur, he simply grunted and tied a sturdy stick to her leg. "Stay off that leg until I say so." Dawnfur huffed and limped out of the medicine den.

Jayfeather grumbled something under his breath, but Starpaw caught a hint of a smile on his face before he turned away. "Ferncloud is extremely stressed right now. Luckily, Mothwing showed me a few herbs to help with this." He plucked up a few herbs. The first was an oval leaf with a slight mossy scent. "Goatweed. Applied daily. Used to soothe anxiety and depression." The second herb was a bundle of small sticky leaves with a slightly fresh tang. "Thyme. Calms the nerves. More of a temporary herb that Goatweed."

The third, she recognized before Jayfeather could point it out. "I know this one! Dandelion, right?"

Jayfeather nodded proudly. "So you have been paying attention. Now that you have the herbs, take them to Ferncloud."

Starpaw nodded and placed the herbs in a waxy leaf she recognized as beech. Ferncloud was just outside the nursery, head in her paws. "Ferncloud?" she murmured quietly.

The queen looked up and smiled wearily, wiping at her face. "Those are the soothing herbs, yes? Leafpool said that she would send some."

Starpaw nodded and placed the bundle down, watching Ferncloud eat the herbs carefully. Ferncloud shook her head and sighed. "You know, you'd think I would be used to losing the cats in my life. I shouldn't be making such a big deal out of it. After all, others have it worse."

She shrugged and fluffed her fur. "Listen, I'll be alright. Just- give me time."

Starpaw nodded and padded to the apprentice den. Inside, Briarpaw and Bumblepaw whispered quietly to Redpaw, while Blossompaw was asleep in her nest. Starpaw barely made it to her nest before her legs gave out, and she fell into the soft moss. With barely a goodnight to her sister, she fell unconscious.


	7. Chapter Six: Little Steps

Starpaw groaned and rolled over, the faint sound of kittens coming from the nursery. It had been a moon since Dustpelt's death, and Ferncloud's kits had come shortly afterwards. The first kit had died a night later, but two healthy children were growing up in the nursery. The second was a lovely brown tabby she-cat, named after Brambleclaw. Bramblekit was always watching over her brother, a silky silver tabby tom with white spots named Featherkit, for his feathery pelt. Lakeflower was always cooing and playing with the little ones, letting them bite at her tail.

But as new kits came into the clan, apprentices became warriors. Millie's litter had all received their names, leaving her and Redpaw alone in the apprentice's den. Even though she could stretch out now, she still missed them, if only for the reminder that there were other cats around besides her and her sister.

Her joints ached after a long day of hunting with Firestar. He had her practice the hunting crouch until he was satisfied, and then they stalked and swiped and bit until it seemed as though they had caught every piece of prey in the forest. Firestar had caught a wren, a couple of mice, and he'd brought down a particularly annoying crow. Starpaw felt a little embarrassed by her haul, which was smaller in comparison; she caught a squirrel by literally tripping across the fluffy thing, and the rabbit already had a broken leg when she caught it.

Ferncloud and Jayfeather chatted quietly in the medicine den. Without straining her ears too much, Starpaw guessed that Ferncloud was there for not having enough milk (borage leaves). Jayfeather was probably going to give her a few, and then have her take more goatweed.

Before she could listen any further, a brown blur appeared in the corner of her eye. She turned and saw little Bramblekit wobbily making her way out of the nursery, followed by her brother, Featherkit. Starpaw sighed and padded up to the little ones. Bramblekit squeaked and fell on her side, exposing her soft kitten fur to Starpaw. "Silly kit," she murmured, plucking up the she-kit by her scruff. "Come on, let's get you to your nest."

The nursery still smelled of milk, and Starpaw nodded to Daisy. Daisy hummed and helped her move the kits, though Featherkit simply followed his sister. They gingerly placed the kits down in Ferncloud's nest. Bramblekit stood up and meowed indignantly at them. "Hey! Why can't I explore?"

Daisy trilled softly. "You're still a bit too young. When you're older, okay?"

Bramblekit whined, "Why can't I go now?"

Starpaw sighed and let Daisy deal with the kits. She padded out and made her way to the entrance of clan. "I'm going on a walk!" she called to Graystripe, who nodded and went back to grooming Millie.

Her paws ached a little as she walked herself to the lake, watching her steps carefully. Once she was there, she sat on the sandy shore and waded her paws in the water. A minnow floated past her claws, and she watched its little movements idly.

When she was satisfied, she walked along the shore, brushing the sand with her tail. As she approached the Shadowclan border, she spotted a patrol, and called out, "May I approach?"

The leader of the patrol, a pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, nodded and beckoned her forward. She trotted over and smiled. "How are Shadowclan fairing?"

The second, a black and white tom, shook his head sadly. "One of our elders died recently, and we've scented a loner she-cat to our southern border. However, the prey is running better now that leaf-fall is coming, and the rain with it."

Starpaw nodded, keeping a watchful eye on the two. Even if we're friendly now, they are still from the enemy clan. "That's good. Thunderclan has new warriors. Though if Blossomwind could be a bit less battle-hungry, then we know the world's coming to an end," she grumbled under her breath.

The tortoiseshell laughed. "Young warriors tend to be like that. You'll know the feeling one day. My name is Tawnypelt, by the way. This is Crowfrost."

"Starpaw."

Crowfrost's ears twitched. "Ah, yes. Firestar mentioned you at the gathering. A shame you weren't there. It was lovely."

Starpaw's face burned. "Yeah, well, someone had to protect the camp!" she protested, lifting her head indignantly.

The two shadowclan cats laughed. "Sure, sure," Tawnypelt chuckled. "Say, about your name."

 _Not this again._ "Yes?" she sighed, suppressing an annoyed sigh.

"So if you were to become leader, would your name be Starstar, or…"

Starpaw shrugged. "I'm not really the leader type. Though I guess if I were, I'd use the second part of my name. Like, if I'm Starclaw, my name would be Clawstar. That'd be pretty cool, yeah?"

"Maybe." Tawnypelt's eyes flickered to a buzzard flying overhead. "Your mom was a loner, yeah? Is that why she named you Starkit?"

Starpaw squirmed a little. She didn't want to tell these cats something so personal to her, and she especially didn't want them to go around talking about her mother like that. "I guess," she lied, flicking her tail.

 _She had asked her mother before, when she and Redkit were four moons old. Dawnfur had smiled and licked her cheek. "Well, when you were born, I chose names based on what you resembled. Gorsekit was named after the flowers growing in the clearing, and his fur spiked up just like the yellow petals. Burntkit, for the dark brown color of his pelt. Redkit, for the color of her pelt."_

 _"Mama, I'm yellow!" Redkit protested._

 _Dawnfur had chuckled and pulled her close. "I know dear. But when your fur was wet and fluffed up, your silly mother thought you looked red."_

 _Redkit looked mollified, and settled in with her sister for the rest of the story. "Now, originally, I was going to name you Silverkit. But when I looked up at the sky that night, weary and delirious, I saw the most beautiful shooting star. I knew, as soon as I saw it, that you were meant to be Starkit."_

Tawnypelt nodded. "Well, we'd better get heading out. Gotta make sure that the border is safe from scary apprentices like you," she teased.

Starpaw was about to leave when she heard a rustling in the bushes. The cats turned, and Tawnypelt unsheathed her claws. "Be ready for a fight," Crowfrost muttered, flicking his tail. Then, out stumbled a she-cat.

She was thin, and her fur was caked in grey gunk. There were a few long gashes down her flank, ragged and dirty. She smelled of infection. Her steps were uneven, and she barely kept her head up. Another step, and she tumbled to the ground, breathing raggedly.

Crowfrost stepped back. "So this is the loner," he commented, lowering his defense.

The she-cat whimpered, placing a paw above her forehead. "Ple- please, I'm no trouble. I j-just want to get out of here."

Tawnypelt sighed and flicked her tail. "We're not going to hurt you, alright?" She turned to Starpaw and Crowfrost. "We should just let her go."

Crowfrost shrugged. "Fine. Do what you will, but watch your back around that loner." And with that, the two Shadowclan warriors padded off.

Starpaw felt pity for the she-cat, who was fearfully staring at her. "Get up," she ordered, and the she-cat did as she was told. She had only taken a few steps before nearly collapsing, falling squarely into Starpaw.

"I'm sorry! Sorry, sorry," the she-cat hissed.

Starpaw shook her head. "It's fine, really. Lean on me for now, alright? And stop apologizing, it's getting annoying."

Starpaw helped the loner to the lake edge. Starpaw led her to the shallows and let her relax. "First, we should get this grime off. Stay still and I'll even take a look at your wounds." The loner lay there as Starpaw brushed away clumps of dirt and sap, occasionally hissing as a claw snagged on a knot here or there. The water around them clouded, but by the end, she wasn't caked in dirt and gunk like before.

"Thank you for helping me," the loner said. She shivered as a wind blew past, cooling the wet fur.

Starpaw nodded. "Let's get you out of the water, alright? I don't want you sitting in your own filth." The two made their way to a little rock outcropping a few fox-lengths away, where the loner lay down to catch her breath. Now that her fur was somewhat clean, Starpaw could look closely at her wounds. They were shallow, but they stunk of infection, which wasn't exactly a good sign. The skin around them was cracked and inflamed, and a foul yellow liquid leaked out of the deepest one. "I'm going to bring you back to my camp, alright? You'll be okay."

The loner nodded and leaned on Starpaw. "Why are you helping me?" she asked, breathing heavily.

Starpaw shrugged. "I don't know. It just feels wrong to leave you here, I guess."

The two slowly made their way into the forest, stopping every couple of minutes to let the loner rest. "I don't believe I told you my name yet," she sighed, flicking her tail to the loner. "I'm Starpaw."

The loner smiled and rested her head on Starpaw's shoulder. "And I am- well, I was- Jazz."

Starpaw cocked her head at the odd name. "Is a jazz a type of bird? Or some sort of herb?"

Jazz laughed, though she stopped and coughed roughly, gasping for breath. After a moment, her breathing returned to a normal pattern. "No, no. It's just the name my housefolk gave me, before they…" her voice faded.

"They what?" Starpaw asked, curious.

Jazz shook her head. "Never mind. It's not that important."

They were almost to the camp now, and Starpaw felt a twinge of nervousness. "Hey, when we get back to my camp, my clanmates might be a bit… hostile. But don't worry!" she reassured, catching the fearful look on Jazz's face. "Firestar was a kittypet once; at least, that's what Thornclaw told me. He'll be super nice to you, I promise."

Speaking of which… she thought, catching sight of Whitewing and Birchfall talking outside camp. She took a deep breath and led Jazz forward. "Hey, guys!" She called, smiling.

The two turned, and there was an awkward silence as the warriors stared back at her and the loner. Jazz's ear flattened against her head in embarrassment.

Birchfall spoke first. "Starpaw. What. In Starclan's name. Is that?"

"She was hurt. Please, can we help her? Please?"

Whitewing grumbled under her breath. "I'll go tell Firestar about this. Birchfall, could you help our 'guest' to the medicine den?"

Birchfall nodded and got on Jazz's other side, helping her into the camp. Thankfully, aside from the queens and elders sunning themselves, it was mostly deserted. The three of them were able to slip into the medicine den without drawing too much attention. Inside, Jayfeather, Leafpool, and Squirrelflight were talking quietly.

"Mom, for the last time, I do not need to be tended over like a kit," Jayfeather complained, as Squirrelflight cleaned behind his ears.

Squirrelflight chuckled and purred. "Oh, I know. But let me have this, alright? You'll always be my little baby."

Jayfeather groaned, and the older she-cats laughed. Then, Leafpool's eyes flickered to Starpaw, Jazz, and Birchfall. "Oh! And who is this, exactly?"

Starpaw flushed and smiled. "This is Jazz. I found her wandering around on the border. Can you treat her injuries?"

Jayfeather grumbled. "Of course. I can smell the infection from here." He padded over and nodded to Birchfall. "You can leave now, Birchfall."

Birchfall huffed. "A 'thank you' would be nice."

"Thank you. Now leave."

Birchfall grumbled something under his breath and left the med den. "Um, Jayfeather?" Starpaw asked, looking around. "Do you want me to leave, or-"

Jayfeather shook his head. "No, stay. This is a good opportunity for you to learn your herbs." He flicked his tail to his left. "You. Come here."

"I'm over here, sir." Jazz padded over from his right and stood still as he sniffed and poked at her body.

"Well, you've got a badger's immune system. You have a fever, but that's most likely a result of the infection." He pointed to the scratches on her flank, and she hissed as his paw brushed past the one oozing yellow liquid. "This here? This is the worst infection. We cure this, and the rest is kit's play."

Leafpool nodded. "The pus is your body trying to flush out the infection. A little is generally a sign that your body is fighting back, but a lot means that your immune system is overwhelmed." She reached behind her to grab a few herbs. "Here," she said, breaking the sweet sedge-leaf and holding the break over the loner's mouth. "Eat the sap. It will help your body fight the infection."

Jazz did as she was told, sucking on the leaf obediently. Leafpool took a few oak leaves and applied them to some of the smaller scratches, with Jayfeather's help. Jazz winced and bit down on the sweet-sedge. "Don't bite, suck," Leafpool instructed. Starpaw snickered at the comment, but Jayfeather's glare shut her up.

Jazz nodded and bit her cheek instead, hissing quietly. Leafpool clucked her tongue. "Jayfeather, fetch mouse bile. A lot of mouse bile." Jayfeather appeared, holding a clump of soaked moss out on a stick. Leafpool pressed the moss to Jazz's belly, between her legs, and on her back. With the moss came ticks, and a lot of them. Leafpool grunted contently. "Starpaw, can you take over with this? I need to go wash my paws, and then I'll get to work on fixing a poultice for that wound."

Starpaw nodded and rubbed the moss across Jazz's pelt. Occasionally, she would come across a rather troublesome tick that needed to be crushed, and she did so by flicking her claws and throwing it to the floor, picking up a rock in her jaws, and slamming it against the bug until it stopped twitching. "I freaking hate ticks," she muttered after one such bug that refused to die.

Jayfeather flicked his ears. "You do this for the elders all the time. Don't lick your pelt!" he snapped at Jazz, who cowered. "The smell is bad enough, but once you get the taste of bile in your mouth, it takes a quarter moon to get out."

Jazz nodded. "Oh. Sorry. But how am I supposed to clean my pelt?"

Jayfeather grumbled underneath his breath. "What, do you want me to hold your paw? Go down to the lake and wash up there. But not until we're done treating your injuries."

Jazz nodded and lay still as Jayfeather and Starpaw checked the smaller scratches. Leafpool returned, her paws clean and fresh and with a soaked bundle of moss in her jaws, and quickly grabbed horsetail, goldenrod, and marigold. She took the herbs and ground them into a fine paste. "This is one of the stronger poultices. We only use it when an infection is serious enough to warrant it," she explained carefully to Starpaw.

Leafpool took the bundle of clean moss and gently wiped the bile out of Jazz's fur. She took the moss outside and, with Starpaw's help, gingerly spread the poultice against the wound. Jazz's eyes went wide and she clawed at the earth in pain, hissing, but as Leafpool continued she slowly winded down and settled.

"Thank you most kindly," Jazz murmured, relaxing in the nest. "I'm sorry if I'm causing trouble."

Leafpool shook her head. "Nonsense. You needed healing, and here we are. Now, you're going to need some bed rest, and your wounds need to close, which means at least a quarter moon in camp. No ifs, ands, or buts, understand?" Jazz nodded, resting her head on her paws.

Firestar poked his head in, alert. "So, what's this I hear about a loner?" he asked. Starpaw gestured to Jazz, who looked up and blinked several times. Firestar smiled gently. "Hello. My name is Firestar. What's your name?"

Jazz glanced to Starpaw, who nodded, and said quietly, "Jazz."

"Well, Jazz, can I ask a few questions?" She nodded quietly. "Are you afraid of me?" A nod. "That's okay. You're allowed to be afraid, all right? But we aren't going to hurt you."

Jazz swallowed around the leaf in her mouth. "Alright."

"Can you tell me how you came to the lake?"

Jazz sighed and turned her gaze away, flicking her tail. "Well, I used to live with my housefolk, but then one day, they just- left. I wandered around for a bit, but when I got to the road, a tom chased me away and scratched up my flank." She turned and licked at the small set of scratches, lower on her flank. "I was so desperate to get away, that I didn't notice the thorns until I was stuck on it. And well, while I was struggling, it dug through my flesh and made this one big mark."

Jayfeather snorted skeptically. "I've never heard of a thorn that could tear up a cat's pelt like that."

"Was it silvery?" Leafpool asked.

Jazz nodded. "And it smelled like blood and something else."

Firestar hummed. "Silverthorn. You should count yourself lucky that nothing worse happened to you."

"And now… now I'm here." Her eyes flickered to the cats standing around her, fear lowly dissolving into curiousity. "If it's not too much to ask, well… can I stay here? Not permanently, of course, just until I'm healed."

Firestar nodded. "Stay as long as you need, Jazz." He flicked his tail, signalling to Starpaw for her to follow, and she left with him, throwing one last glance to Jazz.


	8. Chapter Seven: The Brewing Storm

The wind was howling loudly outside camp, carrying with it storm clouds. The warriors in camp were busy patching up dens, rounding up as much fresh-kill as possible, and checking the borders one last time. Starpaw shivered as another cold breeze blew through camp, ruffling her fur.

Jazz limped up to her and purred. "It's gonna be a big one tonight, from the way everyone's acting," she commented, her eyes on the dark clouds overhead.

Starpaw laughed and nudged the loner gently. It had been a few days since Firestar had announced to the clan that they were taking her in. There had been some discontented murmurs, and Berrynose, per usual, wouldn't keep his damn mouth shut, but a good cuff from his sister had made him quiet. Jazz was recovering quickly, and as soon as she could walk without keeling over, she had been out in the forest, hunting for the clan. Jayfeather growled and snapped at her every time he had to redo her dressing, but that didn't stop her from trying to pull her weight.

"Why are you happy about that? A storm means the prey's gonna hide."

Jazz shrugged and sighed. "I don't know. I've just always slept better in the rain. Y'know?"

"No, no I don't. You're weird, you know that?"

Jazz laughed and batted gently at her head, and the two exchanged playful blows. "Take that back!"

"Never!"

The two tussled, but eventually the older apprentice won out, and she pinned Jazz. "Ha! I win!"

Jazz growled. "Alright, alright, you won. Now let me up!"

Starpaw smirked and released Jazz, who winced when her flank rubbed the wrong way. Even after everything she put herself through, the ginger she-cat still managed to heal once she had access to clean water and herbs. The wound had gone from leaking pus and bleeding to a scabbed-up area where soft fur was slowly growing back in, and while it was pink and puffy, it was much better than it had been when Starpaw had first found her.

Jazz blinked slowly and bumped heads with Starpaw, who returned the friendly gesture. "I'd better go back to my nest, before Jayfeather chews my ears off for rough housing," she chuckled, slowly strolling off to the medicine den.

A yowl came to her left. She turned to the camp entrance, where the evening patrol was returning. The scent of aggression rolled off the four cats in waves. At the head of it was Birchfall, whose fur stood on end. "Windclan are stealing our prey again!" he hissed.

A murmur rippled through the clan. Stealing prey, especially as Leaf-fall was just beginning, would carry a steep price, and Windclan had been warned twice in the last two moons. Starpaw's mind whirled with what this would mean in the coming moments. _Those rabbit-chasers!_ she thought, sheathing and unsheathing her claws. _I'll tear their pelts off and line my nest with them._

Redpaw walked up to her sister. "Are we going to battle with them?" Starpaw asked, leaning against her sister. Redpaw simply shrugged and led the two forward

"What?" Graystripe asked, padding over to Birchfall. "How do you know this?"

Blossomwind snarled. Her pelt was fluffed up twice her size, but she smoothed it out a little in the face of her father. "There was pheasant blood inside our border, and feathers scattered all around."

"The whole place reeked of Windclan scent," Birchfall added, tail twitching.

Lakeflower slowly padded forward, fur laying flat. "It's possible that they chased it into our territory, and were simply retrieving it," she suggested.

Foxleap scoffed skeptically. "Do you have bees in your brain? Pheasants don't live on the moors. They must have come into our territory to get to it."

Firestar walked over, and his presence almost had a calming affect on the clan, who settled down and watched him expectantly. Starpaw scurried over and stayed at his side, determined to be a part of the action. "Did you see any Windclan cats while you were out?" he asked.

Birchfall shook his head. "No, but the scent was fresh. We couldn't have been ten minutes apart."

Firestar closed his eyes, thinking to himself for a moment. After a moment, he turned to Leafpool. "Has Starclan said anything about this?" he asked her.

Leafpool shook her head. Starpaw noticed how she held her legs stiff, and weariness seemed as though it were soaked into her bones. "Sometimes, we must act without Starclan's words."

Firestar nodded. He scrambled up the Highledge, and called out, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath High Rock for a clan meeting!"

Starpaw felt as though she was going to vibrate out of her fur. _A battle!_ She quickly scrambled up under the ledge, sitting proudly next to Redpaw and Cloudtail. Cloudtail was quietly quizzing his apprentice about the various defensive moves, but hushed when he saw that Starpaw was listening and glared at her. Starpaw smiled cheekily and wormed her way next to her sister, who grinned and looked up the ledge.

Firestar surveyed his clan quietly, his eyes resting on his aging mate, Sandstorm. "As I'm sure most of you have heard, Birchfall's patrol found evidence that Windclan has stolen prey from us yet again." The clan yowled and spit in anger. Starpaw herself hissed and cursed Windclan. "Quiet!" he growled. His sudden flare of passion startled Starpaw, who shut her mouth and listened to her leader.

"We are not attacking just yet. Instead, we will strike them when the coming storm is at its thickest, when the thunder and lightning will hide us and confuse our enemies. Windclan have disrespected our boundaries one too many times. Tonight, we will remind Windclan that Thunderclan have their name for a reason!"

The clan cheered their leader, who looked down on them proudly. He waited until the noise had died down a bit before continuing. "If I call your name, then you will join me tonight for the battle. Thornclaw, Blossomwind, and Brackenfur, you will lead the charge into battle. Hazeltail, Millie, Cloudtail, Squirrelflight, Lionblaze, and Brightheart will follow up alongside me. Cinderheart, Spiderleg, and Briarstorm will act as reinforcements." The warriors called nodded and milled about.

"Redpaw and Starpaw." Starpaw stood up, startled. "You two will not be fighting in the battle unless the circumstances turn dire. You will wait with Leafpool, away from the battle."

Starpaw nodded, but couldn't help the disappointment bubbling in her belly. _I thought we were going to be fighting in the battle_.

"Remember, we only fight to show them that Thunderclan is not to be underestimated. And no one is to harm any elders or kits. Get some rest and food in your bellies, all of you. We leave when the rain starts." Firestar hopped back down the ledge, landing with a solid thump on the ground.

Dawnfur trotted up to Jayfeather, pulling the medicine cat outside the camp. Starpaw's eyes widened. "What's she doing?" she asked Redpaw.

Redpaw shrugged. "Let's go find out."

Cutting through the crowd, Redpaw led the silent pair outside, to a small clearing where Dawnfur and Jayfeather were speaking. The two snuck forward, listening in on their conversation. It was a bit difficult due to the noise of the camp, but Starpaw did hear most of it. "They're too young going to battle." _Mom._ Dawnfur paced nervously, tail lashing.

"No, they're going to watch the battle." And that was Jayfeather's voice, oddly soothing and quiet. He padded forward and placed his head to Dawnfur's.

Dawnfur's voice shook. "But if a windclan warrior gets their claws on either of them, they could be killed!"

"Then they will be in Starclan's paws."

Dawnfur shook her head, biting at her lip. "If I could go there, then I would know they would stay safe."

Jayfeather growled. "You knew the risk when we brought them here. You can't protect them forever, and we both know that."

Dawnfur's face crumpled, and she broke into tears. Jayfeather comforted her, shushing quiet words into her ears that Starpaw and Redpaw couldn't hear. Redpaw shook her head and turned to Starpaw. "I don't get it. What're they going on about?"

Jayfeather's ears pricked, and he turned to where Starpaw and Redpaw were hiding. Starpaw held her breath as his blind eyes scanned the underbrush, listening for their heartbeats. She willed herself to stay still as a stone, even as her nose itched and

Just as it felt like he had found them, Jazz called out to the medicine cat, "Where are you, Jayfeather? Leafpool said she needs your help sorting herbs for the warriors."

The two cats bolted apart. Dawnfur quickly licked down her fur. "How do I look?" she murmured.

Jayfeather smiled sadly. "Lovely." Then, his expression changed to one of annoyance, and he yelled back to Jazz. "I'm coming! Don't get your tail in a twist." He slipped through the camp entrance, followed by Dawnfur after a minute.

Starpaw felt frozen where her paws stood. _What was that all about?_ Redpaw frowned and shook her head. "I don't know what's going on, but I don't like it."

Starpaw fluffed out her fur. "So Jayfeather was comforting mom. That doesn't mean anything's going on, so stop being such a worry-worm." She pushed the thoughts out of her head and smiled, flicking her tail. "Come on. They're gonna get suspicious if we go outside camp without doing something. Let's go hunting, alright?"

Redpaw nodded, and the two set out into the howling forest. They stayed close enough, but now that she couldn't see her sister, she could focus on hunting. She opened her mouth, hoping to catch the scent of prey. After a few minutes of scenting, and stalking, she finally found something on the breeze. _There!_ She picked up on the fresh scent of a mouse and stalked forward, her pawsteps careful to not disturb the dried leaves. She found the little creature scurrying about under the roots of a birch tree. She prowled forward, listening to the blood-beat of the little mouse. Even a few paw-steps away, her mouth watered at the smell, but she kept her head. _The clan must be fed first_.

The poor thing didn't stand a chance. Starpaw shot out a paw, flicking the mouse towards her. It shrieked and scrambled for safety, but a solid bite broke its spine. Warm blood flooded Starpaw's mouth, and she savored the taste for a brief moment before turning back to the direction of the camp.

Redpaw was already back by the time she returned, having caught a squirrel. Starpaw chuckled at it when she was placing her kill down on the pile. "How did you catch that? It's as big as you are."

Redpaw huffed and poked her. "You're just jealous." She picked up her squirrel and brought it to the elders. Starpaw chuckled and shook her head, placing down her mouse on the pile and plucking up a small sparrow and a rabbit. She quickly wolfed down the small bird, then padded off to where Leafpool and Jayfeather were organizing herbs.

Leafpool smiled and beckoned to the apprentice. "I assume that's for us?" she asked. Starpaw nodded and dropped the rabbit at Leafpool's feet. Leafpool plucked up the lagomorph and took a few small bits, before giving the prey to Jayfeather. "When's the last time you ate?"

Jayfeather grumbled about being treated like a kit, but he finished off the meal. He plucked up a small pile of herbs in a leaf and handed them to Starpaw. "Eat these. It will give you strength and energy in the upcoming hours." He gestured to her. "Let's see what you can identify. Bonus if you can tell me what they're for."

Starpaw sniffed and inspected the pile. "Hmm. Burnet, that's for strength. I know there's sorrel, but I forget what that's used for. Chamomile is used to strengthen the mind, I think. And…" Starpaw closed her eyes and thought for a second. "Did you put heather flower in this?"

Leafpool nodded. "Very good. Are you sure that you don't want to be a medicine cat? You certainly have a knack for herbs."

Starpaw shook her head. "Never!" Then she shook her head. "Well, that's not to say it doesn't have appeal. I mean, it's a really important job, talking to Starclan, and healing your clanmates. And I'm sure that you guys must be be really happy with your job. But I don't think I'd be able to handle all the injuries, and the prophecies, and I'm be too worried about misinterpreting signs to be good in an emergency.

"Besides, I like being a warrior apprentice. I like hunting for my clan, and I think when I'm old enough, I'll take a mate and maybe have kits." Starpaw bent down and swallowed the herbs, suppressing the urge to gag on them. She averted her eyes and flicked her tail anxiously. "You're not disappointed, right?"

Leafpool shook her head. "Not at all. Not many are called to the path of the medicine cat, and those who are sacrifice a lot for our clanmates." She nudged Starpaw towards the entrance. "Go on now. Tell Firestar that I'm ready whenever he is."

Starpaw trotted out of the medicine den and up to Firestar. "Leafpool says that she's ready for the battle when you say so."

Firestar nodded, resignation on his face. "Then we will leave soon." He stood up, but stumbled and panted. Starpaw rushed to his side, but he waved her off. "I'm ok, it's ok." He regained his footing and took a few deep breaths.

A deep growl of thunder broke the clouds. The clan hushed, and Firestar steeled his gaze. "Cats of Thunderclan!" he called. "It is time to show ourselves in battle. The rain will protect us, the rain will hide us, and the thunder will show that we are not to be trifled with. Now, off to battle!" The cats yowled and poured out of the camp, a wave of fur and claws ready to prove their worth.

Leafpool and Redpaw padded up beside her. Leafpool passed her a bundle of herbs, then rushed back to the medicine den, coming back out with a large bunch of cobwebs. "Let's head to battle," Leafpool meowed.

Redpaw nodded. "To battle."

 _To battle._


	9. Chapter Eight: Roar of Thunder

Starpaw winced as the rains beat down on her, a steady sheet of cold, icy drops. Out on the moor, the plains seemed to stretch forever. A bright flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and Starpaw could see the Thunderclan cats struggling to move forward. Firestar led the cats, his ginger pelt dragging with rainwater.

A growl of thunder came a moment later. Starpaw felt as though she was going to be swallowed whole any moment, as if the ground would collapse and eat her alive. _How can they be so calm?_ she wondered, eyes flickering to the warriors around her.

Redpaw shrieked and scrambled up beside her. "Something bit me!" she whimpered.

Spiderleg hissed. "It's just a bit of thorn," he snapped. "If you don't stay quiet, then the next thing biting us will be Windclan warriors."

Redpaw's ears flattened against her head. Even the usually-calm Spiderleg was stressed in the unfamiliar territory.

Then, another flash of lightning lit the moor. On the edge of the hill, Starpaw caught a brief glimpse of a dark shape darting behind the line of sight.

 _Foxdung_! "They've seen us!" she yelled.

Leafpool's fur stood on end. "Get behind me, the both of you," she hissed, pushing the apprentices away from the hill.

No sooner had she said that then a group of warriors poured over the hill, dark shapes rolling across the moor like waves of inky water. The thunderclan warriors yowled and rushed forward to meet them.

Leafpool grabbed Redpaw by her scruff and started dragging her and Starpaw away from the battle. "Come on!" she hissed.

Before they could escape, a dark gray tom cut off their exit, hissing and spitting. The tom's fur clung to his skinny frame, but his stature made him look fearsome. "Don't underestimate Windclan, you squirrel-chasers," he hissed.

Leafpool growled. "Not even you would harm a medicine cat, Crowfeather."

Crowfeather seemed startled for a second, before shaking his head. "I am loyal to Windclan alone now. Your words mean nothing to me." He stalked the three, claws flexing. He pounced, pinning Redpaw underneath his claws. She shrieked and spit, struggling to escape as he bit down on her shoulder. Starpaw hissed and attacked Crowfeather's flank, and Leafpool scratched at his face.

He hissed and released Redpaw, who quickly scrambled to her sister's side. Crowfeather snarled and bared his teeth. Before he could move again to strike, a ginger blur snapped out and attacked him. The two cats yowled and hissed, fighting, before parting. Crowfeather's neck was bleeding where their savior, Squirrelflight, had bitten down roughly.

Squirrelflight hissed, her shoulder bleeding heavily. "Don't touch my sister again, or I'll line my nest with your pelt!" Crowfeather hissed, but he retreated towards the safety of the windclan camp.

Squirrelflight turned and smiled at Leafpool. "Wish me luck!" she called as she rushed to help Brackenfur.

The winds were picking up, the storm growing more ferocious. Starpaw watched as a brown tabby tom attacked Firestar, pinning him down on the grasses. Firestar was struggling to escape, but the tom held him down and bit on his scruff, shaking roughly. She could here him crying out from across the battlefield, before seeing him going limp.

A bolt of panic washed through Starpaw. _No! You can't take him!_ She rushed forward, ignoring Leafpool's shouts to come back. She pounced on the tom, scratching at his back roughly with unsheathed claws.

The tom reared up and hissed, releasing Firestar. As he released her, Firestar yowled and jumped up, scratching at the tom's belly. Starpaw hissed and held on as the tom writhed on his back, trying to crush her. After a few moments, the fur she was clinging to was ripped out, and she fell off of him.

Firestar and the tom wrestled, fur flying. After a moment, Firestar shoved the tom off. His throat was bleeding, but he stood proudly, the rain cleaning his fur. The tom hissed and stood wearily, stumbling. "Onestar, you've brought this upon yourself. Stand down," Firestar growled.

Onestar hissed. "You were the ones who attacked us. I will not surrender until the whole lake knows that Windclan is not weak." His gaze turned to Starpaw, and his lip curled. "Are Thunderclan so desperate that they turn to using kits in battle?"

Starpaw hissed at him. "I'm a proud warrior apprentice of Thunderclan, you mange-ridden piece of crowfood!"

Firestar glared sharply at her. "Stay behind me, and don't try to fight anyone larger than you." He lashed out at Onestar, the two exchanging blows. Starpaw did her best to stay out of their fight, stumbling backwards as Onestar pushed Firestar back.

 _Thunderclan may have been better fed, but Windclan is fighting on their home turf_ , she realized. Slowly, the numerous Windclan warriors were forcing the Thunderclan cats back, a few even breaking rank and running for the border. _We never should have fought them here_.

A windclan warrior hissed and bared his teeth, approaching her. "Get out of here, you squirrel-munching pests!" he snarled, black ears twitching.

Starpaw fluffed up her fur, tucking her tail underneath her. She only knew a few basic moves, and those were mostly for prey. She wanted nothing more than to do as he said and run paw-first for the border.

A little voice in her head scoffed. _So you will run like a scared mouse? Is this really what Firestar would do?_

Starpaw stopped and thought for a second. _No,_ she answered, squaring her feet. She looked the warrior in the eyes and stared him down. _Firestar wouldn't stop until his clan was safe._

 _So will you stay and fight?_ The voice asked.

 _Yes!_ she answered. She and the warrior circled each other. The world was narrowed down to just the two of them. Her heartbeat was roaring in her ears.

 _What are you?_

She growled and pounced as a flash of lightning split the sky. "I am a warrior apprentice of Thunderclan, and I have not come this far to be beaten by the likes of you!" she snarled, biting at his chest. The warrior hissed and scratched at her ears, but she got under him as he reared up. She shoved up, disorienting him, and bit down, hard, on his belly. He yowled and scored his claws down her back, but she just held on until the skin broke under her teeth. His blood flooded her mouth, staining her muzzle red.

He shoved her off and hissed, limping. "You'll pay for that soon," he snarled, before turning tail and running over the hill. Starpaw watched him with satisfaction, before turning to her bleeding ears. A deep scratch ran through her left ear, and she smirked. _My first battle scar._

Suddenly, a scream echoed across the moor. "Onestar!" a gray she cat shrieked, shoving past Starpaw.

Firestar stood, horrified, over the brown tabby, who lay limp and motionless. Starpaw felt her limbs turn to ice. _Is Onestar dead?_ The gray she-cat pushed past him and nudged her leader, muttering a prayer to Starclan. After a moment, the tom's breathing started, weakly, and Firestar sighed and stepped back.

The brown tabby stood, supported by a few of his warriors. He glared at Firestar, before yowling, "Windclan, retreat!" The few remaining windclan cats fled towards the safety of their camp, with the gray she-cat supporting Onestar.

The thunderclan warriors cheered, Firestar wearily standing tall against the storm. "Thunderclan! We have shown Windclan exactly what will happen to those who would steal from our territory. Now, we can return home, knowing that our clan is safe."

Once he was finished, he turned to Starpaw. "I've been coddling you for too long, but you handled yourself well in the field. I think it's safe to say that you're ready for some battle training, huh?" Starpaw nodded frantically, and he chuckled. "Don't get too excited. You're still going to collect moss and fix dens."

Leafpool padded up to them, Redpaw at her side. Redpaw licked Starpaw's ear. "Oh, your ear! Does it hurt?"

Starpaw shook her head, even though every tug of Redpaw's tongue stung like fire ants. "I'm a warrior apprentice of Thunderclan," she boasted. "Besides, it'll make a cool scar."

Redpaw pouted. "I should have gone into battle. Then I could tell Lakeflower about how I fought a warrior for her."

Starpaw shrugged. "We probably shouldn't tell mom about this. She'd try and keep us in the nursery forever."

Leafpool smiled. "You underestimate Dawnfur. She only fights so hard to protect you because she has lost so much." She padded off to Blossomwind, who simply turned her to Thornclaw's injuries.

Redpaw yawned, pink tongue rolling. Starpaw felt weariness in her bones, now that the adrenaline in her body had faded. They leaned on each other as they trudged back to camp, supervised by Firestar and Blossomwind.

The storm had cleared up considerably at this point, though the clouds still hung darkly in the sky above her. "Hey, Firestar?" she asked, her mouth dull and heavy.

"Yes?"

"When we get home, can I go to bed?"

He chuckled. "I think we all want to go to bed." He whispered something to Blossomwind, and she nodded.

Starpaw squeaked as she was picked up. Firestar placed her on his back, but she was too tired to protest. Blossomwind did the same to Redpaw, her sister going limp quickly on the she-cat's back. Snuggling into her mentor's thick fur, a weary unconsciousness overtook her, and she felt her eyes fall shut.


	10. Chapter Nine: Making Strides

Starpaw's mouth watered as she watched the vole chewing on the root. She silently splayed her paws, to get the most power out of her leap, and wiggled her hips. _Easy does it now,_ she thought, creeping forward silently.

Suddenly, the bushes rustled to her left, and the vole, startled, scampered off. _Mousedung!_ She raced forward to grab at it, but it disappeared in the hole under the roots of the tree.

Starpaw snarled and whipped around. _You made me lose my prey. I'll claw your ears off!_ She opened her mouth, and the taste of something foul flooded her senses.

She hissed. "Where are you? Come out where I can see you!"

A she-cat's voice chuckled. "Now, now. No need to be rude." Starpaw pounced where the voice came from, but the stranger was too fast, and she came up with air. "Hey now! Be still."

The intruder dashed out from the bushes and quickly pinned Starpaw down on her back. Once the world stopped spinning, Starpaw hissed and turned so that she could get a good look at her attacker. The she-cat was quite lovely, her white pelt highlighted with a flame point extending past her face and down her back, ending on her feathery tail. She had a thin, triangular face, her large ears simply an extension of her obviously once-slender figure, weighed down after a recent kitting of some kind.

The queen chuckled as Starpaw's eyes flickered down her body. "I know I'm a thing of beauty, but if you're so easily distracted, then perhaps you aren't a warrior at all."

Starpaw shook her head. "I'm a warrior apprentice, rogue! And you'd do well to respect that!" Starpaw hissed and whirled around, biting roughly at the queen's paw.

The rogue yowled, and Starpaw reared up, throwing her into a thicket. The she-cat hissed defiance as she tore herself free from the clinging branches. "Not bad, young apprentice," she spat. "But you'll need to do a lot better!"

The queen probably would have pounced, but a second scent came suddenly, calming the she-cat. "Ah, and here comes my mate. You'd better hope he's in a good mood."

The tom that emerged took Starpaw's death away. He was tall, strong, with broad shoulders. His fur was dark, save for a snow-white chest. His eyes were blue as the sky, a point of color in the near-dark brown of his pelt. He glared at her, but Starpaw could tell the gesture was ingenuine, hiding something she couldn't detect. In a way, he reminded her of the forest late at night, when the moon was hidden by the rustling branches above, and the scent of dew was ever present.

He padded up to the queen and licked her ears gently, wiping away a bit of loose fur. "Chillfang, who's this?"

"Don't worry about it, love." The she-cat, Chillfang, scoffed. "Just a troublesome apprentice who can't even hunt a vole."

"I only lost it because you made so much noise!" she protested.

"Is that what this is all about?" the queen asked. Chillfang shook her head. "You took too much time sneaking up on it. When it comes to easily startled prey, every tail-twitch, every heartbeat, every moment you spend trying to think of the perfect strategy, gives your target the chance to run." The she-cat quickly dropped into a hunting crouch. She pulled her whiskers back and led with her chin, rippling forward quickly like a breeze. In a few seconds, she had crossed the small clearing without disturbing a single twig or fallen leaf. "You must learn to be both silent and swift, because without one the other is useless."

Starpaw felt her anger slide away as the queen moved, her silky pelt almost like fog. "Teach me to stalk like that," she asked, her pelt bristling with anticipation.

The older cats chuckled. The tomcat padded over, pressing her until she was almost pressed against the floor of the forest. When she tried to push up, he hissed. "You wanted me to show you, and I'm showing you. Now do as you're instructed."

Starpaw nodded. Then, the tomcat grabbed her tail, curling it tightly to her belly. He made her to spread her paws. She huffed indignantly. "I feel like a frog."

"Perhaps, but a frog catches its prey, no?" Chillfang purred.

Starpaw couldn't really argue with that. Once it seemed as though the pair were finished manipulating her body, they stepped back and examined her. "Hmm. Alright, try moving forward like that."

Starpaw grimaced as she padded forward, her limbs gangly and spiderlike in movement. She tripped over her paws and fell, but quickly regained composure and kept moving forward. Chillfang chirped in approval. "Good, kit. Keep going."

When she reached the edge of the clearing, the tomcat called to her, "Come back here again, and this time without waddling like a duck."

Starpaw flushed, but she did as instructed, this time keeping herself contained. As she moved, she thought of the way that Chillfang had moved. Even though she was compressed, she had allowed herself to become loose and liquid. She had moved like clouds, instead of a jumble of limbs and body. Starpaw hummed quietly in her throat and relaxed her shoulders, willing herself to move forward. She stalked forward towards the two older cats, her paws simply an extension of her body.

The tomcat purred. "Good. You take to training well."

Starpaw's chest swelled with pride at the compliment. She smiled and flicked her tail with excitement. "I don't think I've told you my name. It's Starpaw."

The tom nodded. "You may call me Hawk."

The she-cat's ears pricked up suddenly. "Oh, Kelsie must be completely overwhelmed by now, what with the kits and all. I'll head back home and relieve her, alright?" With a flick of her tail, the queen disappeared through the undergrowth.

Hawk nodded. He turned to Starpaw and said, "Best of luck with your hunting, little miss." He then followed his mate, pelt melding with the bracken.

* * *

Starpaw then spent a good bit of time practicing the form she had learned. With each pawstep she improved, until she was able to push through the brush without touching the grasses. She wasn't as good as Chillfang, but it still was better than what she had been doing before.

She scented the air, trying to catch wind of some prey. After a few moments, the fresh scent of a starling wafted by on the breeze. She stalked forward, moving quickly through the underbrush, trying to catch a glimpse of the bird. _There!_ The bird was an adult, its glossy black feathers standing out against the grass. It was alone, pulling at something underground. It pulled up a worm, then hopped over to another side. The starling's leg was twisted at an odd angle, and it paid her no mind as she stalked downwind.

She quickly darted out, ensnaring the bird in her paws and snapping its neck. The starling struggled for a few seconds, before going limp in her jaws. She dropped the bird and spit out a few feathers, before smiling at her catch. She picked the bird back up and headed off towards the camp.

Outside camp, Ferncloud was placing a single flower where Dustpelt had been buried. Starpaw brushed shoulders with her gently, and Ferncloud's eyes widened. "Nice catch," she purred.

Starpaw purred in acknowledgement, before trotting into camp. She placed her catch in the fresh-kill pile, before yawning and padding over to Daisy, who was talking quietly with Dawnfur. The two queens welcomed her silently, and she purred as Dawnfur began to groom her forehead.

Starpaw watched lazily as Firestar padded across the clearing, talking quietly to Lionblaze. "I wonder what they're talking about?" she murmured, blinking slowly.

Daisy shook her head. "It's not kind to be talking about people behind their back."

Starpaw's face felt hot. "I didn't mean it like that."

Daisy chuckled. "I know, I'm just teasing." The queen nudged her. "Say, why don't you go see Jayfeather? I'm sure he could put you to good use."

Starpaw shrugged and did as she was instructed, padding to the den. INside, Jayfeather and Jazz were arguing, again. Jazz licked at her flank, where a poultice had been roughly scraped off. "I don't see what the big deal is. I even caught a squirrel! You told me that you liked squirrels!"

"I told you to stay off that leg! Do I have to break it for you to stay in camp?"

Jazz hissed, tail flicking with irritation. "Try anything and I'll tear your ears off."

Starpaw sighed and brushed between the two. "That's enough. Jazz, Jayfeather is right. If you keep messing with your wounds, they'll never heal, or you might get a worse infection."

Jazz whimpered. "I thought you'd take my side." Still, she held still as Jayfeather reapplied the poultice. Starpaw smiled and licked her ear affectionately.

Jayfeather's ears pricked up at the noise coming from outside. "What's going on out there?" He padded out, and as soon as he was out, Jazz scraped off most of the excess poultice and stood.

Starpaw simply shook her head and escorted her outside, where Ferncloud was wailing. "My kits! My kits are gone!"

Starpaw's blood went cold. Bramblekit and Featherkit were far too young to be out of camp!

Daisy came from the nursery, fury etched on her face. "There was a hole dug in the back of the nursery, and the scent of the kits was hidden with mud. They didn't sneak out; they were stolen!"

The clan yowled in outrage. Firestar stepped forward, his pelt flush. "Search the area. It's been less then a few minutes, so they couldn't have gone far." He laid a gentle tail on Ferncloud's back. "Don't worry. I promise we'll find them."

Starpaw took a step towards Ferncloud to comfort the queen, but Redpaw grabbed her scruff and half-pushed, half-shoved her sister outside camp. She hissed and rubbed at her neck once she was released, casting a glare her sister's way.

Redpaw paced nervously, her pelt fluffing up anxiously. The only other time Starpaw had seen her like this was when, as kits, Lakekit had been trapped underneath a couple of fallen branches. She showed the same fierce determination and thoughtfulness then as she did now. "We can't just stand around and do nothing. If we work fast, we can track them. C'mon!"

Jazz hissed in irritation, emerging from the camp. "Are you nuts? You're both still apprentices, and not to mention that half the forest is going to be looking for those kits." She pushed herself in front of the two, trying to nudge them back to camp.

Redpaw glared at the she-cat. "Don't try and stop us. Come on, Starpaw."

Jazz sighed, stretching. "Fine. If I can't stop you, then I'll make sure that you aren't getting into any danger." She flicked her tail to Redpaw, who said nothing as they snuck off.

They tracked the broken plant stalks left behind, all the way down towards Windclan territory. Redpaw's ears flattened against her head at the memory of battle there. _Could Windclan have taken the kits?_ Starpaw thought. It would make sense, if they were angry enough with Thunderclan. But with Leaf-bare fast approaching, and prey starting to grow thinner on the moors, the last thing that Windclan would do would be to take on more mouths to feed.

Redpaw chirped. "Hey, guys! I found something!" The group crowded around the remains of a crow, feathers scattered wildly. The cream apprentice sniffed the pile, a determined expression on her face. "This was killed quickly and sloppily, and since it wasn't properly buried, that means it most likely was a rogue."

Something clicked in Jazz's mind, and she let out a little sound. "Oh! I recognize this scent. It was the tom from earlier, who scratched up my flank." She hissed and flexed her claws. "He should be near the stables. When we get there, I've been meaning to pay him back for that."

Starpaw nodded. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

They headed towards the Horseplace as fast as they could. Above them, the sun was setting, casting bloody streaks across the sky. Starpaw couldn't help but feel a bit nervous at the way they almost looked like claw marks. _I'm probably thinking too much about this_ , she thought to herself, shaking her head.

The sun was already below the horizon when they reached their destination. Redpaw stopped them, tail flicking anxiously. "Wait. I want to do this without bloodshed." She got into a hunting crouch.

Starpaw's mind flashed to what she had learned earlier today, and she placed her tail on Redpaw's muzzle gently. "I know a better way to stalk."

The two other cats watched Starpaw as she prowled forward. She steadied her breathing and let the motions run through her smoothly, moving as though she were in water.

The two others copied her movements, and Starpaw took a place behind her sister as they stalked the large barn. Inside, the sound of talking could be heard. Starpaw tried to strain her ears, and as they got closer, she caught a bit of the conversation.

"-mama! Where's mama?" That was the shrill shriek of Featherkit, the little tom probably scared out of his wits ends.

"Didn't you say you wanted to explore?" came a tom's voice, icy and hard.

Redpaw's ears flattened against her head. "Steel," she hissed quietly, tail lashing.

Starpaw dug her claws into the dirt underneath her. "How are we going to get in there without the kits getting hurt?"

Redpaw closed her eyes and quietly hummed. After a moment, she opened her eyes and smiled. "You two will sneak inside through that hole over there." She pointed with her tail to a small break in the wood, large enough for a few cats to sneak in and out of if they were careful. "We'll need a distraction next. I'll go behind the barn and scratch at the walls, which will draw Steel outside. When Steel leaves, you two can grab the kits and exit through the hole again. Meanwhile, I'll leave a scent trail for Steel to follow, preferably one of blood to make him curious. Then I'll head towards Horseplace, loop around and clean myself in the lake. We'll all meet up again at the broken half-bridge."

Jazz and Starpaw nodded, and the group split up. Starpaw led the way inside the barn, brushing silently through the hole.

Steel was hissing and pacing, tail flicking. Nearby, the two kits were sitting on a soft boulder, watching their captor. "Why haven't they come yet? This isn't working out how I planned." He dug his claws into the straw beneath him. "No, no. They'll show up. And then everything will work out."

Bramblekit glared at the tom. "Momma's coming to rescue us, and when she gets here, she's gonna beat you up!"

"Yeah!" her brother echoed.

Steel snarled and bared his teeth at the kittens, who squeaked in fear and flattened themselves against the soft boulder.

Jazz's gaze narrowed sharply at the tom. She prowled around the tomcat and the kits, footsteps quiet as an owl's wingbeat. Starpaw followed her cautiously. One good thing about all this was that the scent of the straw was so overpowering, it hid her and Jazz's scent. They snuck around, hiding behind a pile of hay.

Then, a scratching sound came from the back of the barn. _There you are, sis_. Steel stood up, ears alert. He hissed at the kits. "Stay. Here." Quickly, he ran outside the barn.

Jazz and Starpaw emerged from hiding. Bramblekit gasped excitedly, but Starpaw quickly shook her head and grabbed the kit. Jazz quickly grabbed Featherkit, who hummed and went limp in her jaws. The group rounded around, heading for the secret exit.

Outside, Starpaw could catch a glimpse of Redpaw, running as fast as she could towards the lake, followed closely by their father. She felt her blood run cold. "No!" she shrieked. She placed Bramblekit down next to Jazz, but before she could run off, Jazz grabbed her tail.

"Stop! She knows what she's doing." Jazz blocked her exit, shaking her head. "You have to trust that your sister knows what she's doing."

"But-"

Jazz pressed her forehead to Starpaw's. "Right now, we need to get these kits to the Half Bridge. Come on, we'll meet her there."

Starpaw picked up Bramblekit again, but she couldn't shake the growing sense of dread in her belly. They quickly made their way to the broken half-bridge, where Starpaw and Jazz placed their charges down.

Bramblekit purred and rubbed her cheek against Starpaw's in thanks. Featherkit gently headbutted Jazz, who smiled and patted him gently with her tail. "Thank you for rescuing us!" Bramblekit said, smiling.

Jazz nodded. "Thank Redpaw. It was her plan in the first place."

Starpaw gently patted the kit on the head. "Why didn't you call for help when Steel took you?"

Bramblekit hung her head in shame. "He didn't take us at first. I was scared when I saw him, but then he was nice, and he said that he would take us on an adventure, and I kinda dragged Featherkit into it." She purred and bumped her brother gently, and he smiled. "So we went with him, and then he had us roll in some mud, and we were all smelly." The little kit shook her pelt to demonstrate.

"So then we went down to the lake, right? And he made us wash all the mud off. Then we went to this huge field! It went on forever and ever!"

"Oh, so you saw the moors?" Starpaw asked.

"Yeah! And while we were there, Featherkit said he was hungry, so Steel caught us a crow. But it tasted kinda icky, and he didn't even let us finish before we kept going. So Featherkit said that he wanted to go back, and even though I wanted to keep going, I was willing to head back if he didn't want to go further. But then he got all mean!" Bramblekit hissed and did an exaggerated snarl. "He said that we had to go with him, whether we wanted to or not. So I attacked him! Rrow!" She pounced and batted at Jazz with moss-soft paws.

"But then he hit me, and he grabbed Featherkit, and I couldn't leave my brother behind, right? So then he took us to the big straw place, and we waited there, and then you showed up! And you saved us!"

Starpaw nodded. "Now we just have to wait for Redpaw, and then we can go home."

 _Speaking of Redpaw_ , she thought, watching a dark shape emerged from the water. Redpaw shivered and shook herself off, water flying everywhere. "Sorry I'm late," she panted, breathing heavily. "I didn't think he'd chase me that far." She flicked her ears, a small nick in her left one. "C'mon! We'd better get home."

They took a while to get home, even while following the path of the lake. The kits wanted to explore every stone and ripple, and they took smaller pawsteps. Jazz leaned in to Starpaw, sighing in relief. Starpaw hummed in acknowledgement to her friend.

Redpaw went first, brushing through the camp. Ferncloud cried out in surprise, rushing forward. "You found them! Oh, thank you so much!" She purred and groomed her kits, licking their foreheads gently despite their protests.

Almost immediately, the camp seemed almost buzzing. Firestar padded out of his den, blinking sleep from his eyes. When he saw Bramblekit and Featherkit, his eyes widened. "Who found them?" he asked.

Jazz stepped forward, beaming proudly. "Redpaw and Starpaw, sir. I went with them to make sure that nothing would happen, but they proved themselves. Redpaw took initiative and came up with a plan to get the kits back with little bloodshed."

Firestar hummed in admiration. "And their kidnapper?"

Redpaw smiled, flicking a bloody ear. "Dealt with."

Firestar grinned. "I'll make an announcement and let the clan know of your bravery."

He padded up the rock, and the clan crowded around him. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath High Rock for a clan meeting!" Starpaw, Jazz, and Redpaw were motioned to the front.

"Ferncloud's kits have been found. These young cats," and he motioned to the rescue group, "went into danger and brought them back."

He turned to Jazz. "We discussed this earlier. Are you still certain?"

She nodded, and he continued. "This young she-cat has proven herself to the clan, and has shown aptitude and courage. Jazz, do you turn your back on the life you knew before, and promise your loyalty to Thunderclan?"

"I do," answered the she-cat, eyes shining brightly.

"Do you promise to serve and protect your clanmates, and to defend the warrior code, even at the cost of your own life?"

"I do."

"Then from this moment forth, until you have received your warrior name, I name you Sagepaw. May Starclan guide you and help you to gain the strength and courage of a warrior."

Firestar's eyes scanned the crowd, and he smiled. "Brightheart, you have asked me for an apprentice previously, and so I ask that you mentor Sagepaw in turn. I know that you will pass on your wisdom and courage, and I ask you to train Sagepaw well."

The two she-cats touched noses as the clan cheered, "Sagepaw! Sagepaw! Sagepaw!"

Starpaw felt her chest swell with pride at her friend's decision. She squeed excitedly and tackled her, rolling around playfully.

Firestar cleared his throat. "In other news. An apprentice has proven her worth and courage, and it is only right that she be marked as a warrior. Redpaw, step forward."

Starpaw stifled a gasp. _She's going to become a warrior before me? Well, she did become an apprentice before me._ She smiled and nudged her stunned sister towards the High Rock.

Firestar smiled at her, flicking his tail. "I, Firestar, leader of Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this Apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a Warrior in her turn."

Redpaw finally seemed to get the hint and stepped forward, eyes wide. The leader continued. "Redpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to defend your clanmates, even at the cost of your own life?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment forth, you will be known as Redfur. Starclan honors your cunning and courage, and we welcome you as a full member of Thunderclan."

The clan howled her name, and Redfur stood proud. She licked Firestar's shoulder, and he in turn licked her head. Starpaw watched her sister with pride, but she still couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment as she watched her sister move on without her.

Redfur descended down the rock, already looking so mature. She purred and pressed her forehead to her sister's. The new warrior opened her eyes and noticed Starpaw's expression. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure Firestar will make you a warrior soon. I promise."

Dawnfur purred in her throat proudly, placing her tail on Redfur's back. "I'm proud of you, baby girl."

"Moooom," Redfur complained.

The two bickered as Starpaw padded off, her tail drooping. She brushed into the apprentices' den, and curled up unhappily in her sister's old nest. She inhaled the scent, before trying to fall asleep in it.

"Hey, you alright?" Sagepaw asked, brushing through the vine entrance. Starpaw sighed and pressed her muzzle to the moss, and Sagepaw hummed. "Hey, if you want, we could share a nest."

She couldn't really argue with that logic, so she helped Sagepaw rearrange the moss into one cohesive nest. Sagepaw purred and pressed herself up against Starpaw. "Goodnight, Starpaw."

"Goodnight, Sagepaw."


	11. Updated Allegiances (as of Chapter Nine)

**Okay, so due to the fact that the story must progress, I obviously had to update the allegiances every now and then. So, I've decided that to avoid having new readers spoiled about the story, I'm going to update the allegiances every couple of chapters or so. Also, in honor of the fanfic that inspired it, I'll be using xdarkrosesx's names from Briar, Blossom, and Bumble. Ciao!**

 **EDIT: I accidentally left a few cats off the list! Sorry. Don't be afraid to message me if I screw up.**

 _ **Thunderclan**_

 **Leader** : Firestar- Ginger tabby tom with green eyes ( _Abyssinian_ ). _Apprentice- Starpaw_

 **Deputy** : Graystripe- Grey tabby tom

 **Medicine Cat** : Leafpool- Pale brown tabby with amber eyes. _Apprentice: Jayfeather- pale gray tabby, blind_

 **Warriors**

Sandstorm- Pale ginger she-cat.

Millie- grey tabby she-cat.

Brackenfur- Golden-brown tabby tom.

Sorreltail- Pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with white patches.

Cloudtail- Long-haired white tom with white eyes.

Brightheart- White and ginger she-cat. _Apprentice- Sagepaw_

Thornclaw- Golden-brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Squirrelflight- Dark ginger tabby she-cat with white paw.

Cinderheart- Grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Spiderleg- Long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes.

Birchfall- Light brown tabby tom.

Whitewing- white she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose- Cream-colored tom.

Hazeltail- Small gray-and-white she-cat.

Mousewhisker- Gray-and-white tom.

Lionblaze- Golden tabby tom.

Foxleap- Reddish-brown tabby tom.

Icecloud- Snowy-white she-cat.

Dawnfur- Cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former rogue.

Toadstep- Black-and-white tom.

Rosepetal- Dark cream she-cat.

Lakeflower- Blueish-gray she-cat with white splotches.

Briarstorm- Dark brown she-cat.

Bumbleflower- Pale gray tabby tom.

Blossomwind- Tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Redfur- Cream tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

 **Apprentices**

Starpaw- Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Sagepaw- Dark ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes. _(Abyssinian)_

 **Queens**

Ferncloud- Pale gray she-cat with green eyes. _(Kits: Featherkit- gray tabby tom with white belly and paws; Bramblekit- brown tabby she-cat with white paws and muzzle.)_

Daisy- Cream-furred she-cat from the horseplace.

Poppyfrost- Tortoiseshell she-cat, expecting Berrynose's kits.

 **Elders**

Longtail- Pale brown tabby tom, retired early due to failing sight

Mousefur- Dusky brown tabby she-cat

Purdy- ragged brown tabby tom, former loner

 ** _Shadowclan_**

 **Leader** : Blackstar- Large white tom with huge jet-black paws.

 **Deputy** : Russetfur- Dark ginger she-cat.

 **Medicine Cat** : Littlecloud- Very small tabby tom. _Apprentice: Flametail- Ginger tom._

 **Warriors**

Oakfur- Small brown tom. _Apprentice- Ferretpaw_

Rowanclaw- Ginger tom

Smokefoot- Black tom

Toadfoot- Dark brown tom

Applefur- Mottled brown she-cat

Crowfrost- Black-and-white tom

Ratscar- Brown tom with long scar across his back. _Apprentice- Pinepaw_

Snowbird- Pure white she-cat

Tawnypelt- Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. _Apprentice- Starlingpaw_

Olivenose- Tortoiseshell she-cat

Owlclaw- Light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot-Gray she-cat with black feet

Scorchfur- Dark gray tom

Redwillow- Mottled brown and ginger tom

Tigerheart- Dark brown tabby tom

Dawnpelt- Cream-furred she-cat

 **Apprentices**

Ferretpaw- Cream-and-gray tom

Starlingpaw- Ginger tabby tom.

Pinepaw- Black she-cat

 **Queens**

Kinkfur- Tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles

Ivytail- Black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

 **Elders**

Cedarheart- Dark gray tom

Snaketail- Dark brown tom with tabby-striped tail

Whitewater- White she-cat with long fur, blind in one eye

 _ **Riverclan**_

 **Leader** : Leopardstar- unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

 **Deputy** : Mistyfoot- gray she-cat with blue eyes

 **Medicine Cat** : Mothwing- dappled golden she-cat. Apprentice- Willowshine- pale gray tabby she-cat.

 **Warriors**

Reedwhisker-black tom. _Apprentice- Hollowpaw_

Rippletail-dark gray tabby tom

Graymist-pale gray tabby. _Apprentice- Troutpaw_

Mintfur-light gray tabby tom

Icewing-white she-cat with blue eyes

Minnowtail-dark gray she-cat. _Apprentice- Mossypaw_

Pebblefoot-mottled gray tom. _Apprentice- Rushpaw_

Mallownose-light brown tabby tom

Robinwing-tortoiseshell-and-white tom

Beetlewhisker-brown-and-white tabby tom

Petalfur- Gray and white she-cat

Grasspelt- Light brown tom

 **Apprentices**

Hollowpaw-dark brown tabby tom

Troutpaw-pale gray tabby she-cat

Mossypaw-brown-and-white she-cat

Rushpaw-light brown tabby tom

 **Queens**

Duskfur-brown tabby she-cat

Mosspelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

 **Elders**

Blackclaw-smoky-black tom

Dapplenose-mottled gray she-cat

Pouncetail-ginger-and-white tom

 _ **Windclan**_

 **Leader** : Onestar-brown tabby tom

 **Deputy** : Ashfoot-gray she-cat

 **Medicine Cat** : Kestrelflight-mottled gray tom

 **Warriors**

Crowfeather-dark gray tom

Owlwhisker-light brown tabby tom. _Apprentice- Whiskerpaw_

Whitetail-small white she-cat

Nightcloud-black she-cat

Heavystep- Light brown tabby tom.

Gorsetail-very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Weaselfur-ginger tom with white paws

Harespring-brown-and-white tom

Leaftail-dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Antpelt-brown tom with one black ear

Emberfoot-gray tom with two dark paws

Heathertail-light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes. _Apprentice- Furzepaw_

Breezepelt-black tom with amber eyes. _Apprentice- Boulderpaw_

Sedgewhisker-light brown tabby she-cat

Swallowtail-dark gray she-cat

Sunstrike-tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead

 **Apprentices**

Furzepaw-gray-and-white she-cat

Boulderpaw-large pale gray tom

Whiskerpaw-light brown tom

 **Elders**

Tornear-tabby tom

Webfoot-dark gray tabby tom

 _ **Others**_

Hawkfrost- Dark brown tabby tom rogue with white chest and icy blue eyes

Steel- Handsome dark gray rogue tom with white spotting and blue eyes

Chillfang- Pretty white and ginger she-cat rogue with blue eyes. (Javanese) (Kits: Snakekit- brown tabby tom-kit with white splotches; Lilykit- calico she-kit; Cherrykit- Light brown tabby she-kit)

Peach- Long-furred cream tabby she-cat with curled ears. Loner (American Curl)

Kelsie- Tortoiseshell she-cat. Expecting kits. (York Chocolate)

Hollyleaf- Black she-cat with bright green eyes. Loner

 _ **The Dead**_

Dustpelt- Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes. TC. _Drowned/brain injury_.

Sol- Tortoiseshell tom. Rogue. _Thunderpath_.

Shardkit- Blue-ish gray she-kit. Ferncloud's litter. TC. _Died shortly after birth_.

Tallpoppy- Long-legged light brown tabby she-cat. SC. _Old age._

Voletooth-small brown tabby tom. RC. _Old age._

Dawnflower-pale gray she-cat. RC. _Old age._


	12. Chapter Ten: Growing Up

Starpaw yawned, shifting in her nest silently. She was with someone, but whoever it was was warm. She hummed and purred, snuggling into the cat's fur. Her partner threw a gentle paw over her and pulled her close, purring quietly. She felt as though she could stay like this forever, just the two of them sleeping in bliss forever.

She opened her eyes, and the blurry red shape of Sagepaw filled her vision. Starpaw smiled and leaned into the she-cat's fur, inhaling her familiar scent. It had been two moons since Redfur had been made a warrior without her, and even though the two sisters were still incredibly loyal to each other, they had begun to drift apart as training sessions and long patrols kept Starpaw occupied for most of the day. In that time, Sagepaw had become a quick learner, and the two apprentices were almost evenly matched at this point. As Starpaw had learned over midnight conversations whispered in the silence of camp, Sagepaw was only a half-moon younger than Starpaw. Starpaw couldn't imagine her life now without her friend, and she didn't want to.

Sagepaw stayed asleep as Starpaw snuck out, the early morning light casting long shadows around camp. She checked the fresh-kill pile, but it was almost empty, with a stale sparrow lying alone. Redfur was returning from her patrol, yawning as Lakeflower escorted her to the warrior's den. Starpaw turned away from the two sadly, choosing instead to do some hunting. Quietly, before Firestar could call for her, she slipped out of camp and ventured into the forest.

In the silence of the early morning, she felt herself on edge. It was as though Starpaw could hear her own heartbeat. She quietly roamed through the territory, careful not to scatter a loose twig or any fallen leaves. The melting frost was dripping onto the forest floor, and the scent of fresh earth filled her nose.

After a moment, she caught the scent of hare. Her mouth watered as she tracked the creature, its scent intoxicating. After a few moments, she caught sight of the hare, the nervous lagomorph chewing on a piece of fallen fruit. Starpaw smiled and readied her hips.

She pounced, landing heavily on the hare. It shrieked and struggled, but it was cut off with a quick bite to its neck. Warm blood oozed out of the limp body, painting her silver muzzle red. She smirked proudly at her catch. _This'll make a nice meal._

Starpaw carried her kill back to camp, stumbling over her paws. The camp was starting to buzz with cats waking up.

As she pulled her catch to the fresh-kill pile, she heard a gasp from Dawnfur. "Oh, my! What a good catch!"

Starpaw purred and turned, only to stop when she saw Redfur, a large crow dangling from her jaws. The young warrior purred bashfully, her chest puffed out. "It's not that impressive, really."

Cloudtail flicked his tail proudly at his former apprentice. "A catch like that will feed many mouths. I'm proud of you, Redfur."

Starpaw couldn't help but feel a little envious at all the attention her sister was receiving. She growled under her breath and placed the hare in the fresh-kill pile, before stalking off to the nursery.

Inside, Ferncloud was tiredly watching her kits, who ran about. She smiled and nodded to the queen. "I'll watch them, if you want to go on a walk or something." Ferncloud purred her thanks and stood up, padding out into the sunlight.

"Hey, Starpaw!" Bramblekit squeaked, the little tabby scrambling over to her. "Are you gonna teach us some battle moves?"

"No!" protested Featherkit, his fur fluffing out indignantly. "Tell us a story instead."

Bramblekit pounced on her brother. "Stop being mouse-brained!" She batted at her brother's belly with moss-soft paws. "Rrow! I'm the leader of Thunderclan, you mangy Windclan cat! I'm gonna deface you!"

"Defeat is the word you're looking for," Starpaw corrected. She watched as the ticked tabby mock-fought her brother, rolling him onto his belly. After a moment, she pulled the two apart, rolling Bramblekit onto her back. "Calm down, little one. You'll have plenty of time to be a warrior in a few moons. For now, enjoy being a kit while you can."

The she-kit grumbled, but she tucked her tail around her paws. "Fine. Then will you tell us a story?"

"I asked that!" Featherkit whined.

Starpaw hummed, thinking for a moment. "Alright, since you're so battle hungry, I'll tell you the story of the brave queen who gave us a guideline for when to train our kits."

The kits settled in and listened, as Starpaw began to speak…

" _Once, many moons ago, so long ago that she is only remembered in story, there lived a queen named Daisytail. Daisytail was a windclan cat, and before we moved to the lakes, Shadowclan and Windclan used to go to battle daily, each itching to die for their clan. Daisytail's only kit was barely three moons old when one day, she learned that he would be sent into battle before three sunrises had passed. Daisytail would not stand by and watch as her son was slaughtered in battle. So, the queen hatched a plan._

 _Shadowclan and Windclan were at the field, ready to fight, when a queen's voice rang out. "STOP!" cried Daisytail, leaping onto the rock she had been hiding behind. Hawkfoot, another Windclan queen and Daisytail's close friend, scrambled up beside her. "We won't let you fight!"_

 _Blizzardstar, the leader of Shadowclan at the time, stared at the queens in astonishment. "Are all your cats this scared of combat, Hazelstar?"_

" _It's not fear," called a cat from the ShadowClan line. "We're stopping this battle," she announced. The queen, Oakleaf stepped forward and bowed her head in tense greeting to Daisytail._

 _Daisytail dipped her head to her ally, before continuing. "Some of these apprentices are barely weaned from their mothers' milk. They are too young to die, too young to fight, too young to be treated like full-grown warriors."_

 _The ShadowClan queen walked out to join her companions. "Daisytail came to see us with the other queens two sunrises ago. She told me that she didn't want to let her kit go into battle when he was too small to fight his own Clanmates, and she asked me if I would let my kit die like this, too."_

 _Hazelstar turned to Daisytail, his fur bristling. "What are you saying?" he asked, looking from his warriors back to the queens. "That we should never fight again? Do you really think that is how the Clans could live?"_

 _Daisytail shook her head. "No. I know battle is part of our life. It's what warriors train for. But they should only be asked to fight when they are old enough to stand a chance of winning. What is the point of training kits so young that they'll be lost in their first conflict?"_

 _Oakleaf trotted across the grass and stood side by side with Daisytail and Hawkfoot. "We are united, Blizzardstar," she told him. She nodded toward the line, and several other she-cats padded out. Daisytail dipped her head to greet them; some of these queens were too old to have kits as young as hers, but they all felt the same: The youngest cats should not be expected to fight. The grass whispered softly as the she-cats joined them, falling in beside both clanmates and enemies, united in their desire to stop the senseless slaughter._

 _Daisytail looked from Hazelstar to Blizzardstar and back again. The leaders could still order their warriors into battle. All that would happen would be that she would be forced to watch her kit fall beneath the paws of a giant ShadowClan warrior, never to get up again._

 _After a moment, the leaders hung their heads in shame. "Very well," said Hazelstar, turning to the queen. "What would you chose for the age to train apprentices?"_

 _After a moment, looking around at the kits, she answered him, "Six moons. Until then, they will remain in the nursery and be tended to by the queens."_

 _The leaders agreed. "You speak wisely, Daisytail. Windclan will withdraw all apprentices under six moons old."_

" _And so will Shadowclan." The two leaders nodded and headed home, and bloodshed was averted._

 _At the next gathering, the leaders proposed the rule of no kittens under six moons being trained, with Daisytail as one of its strongest supporters. There were some complaints, but the queens stood firm, and finally the law was passed._

 _And so, to this day we remember Daisytail, for her courage and determination to save her kit."_

Starpaw smiled at the two kits, who seemed almost humbled by the story of the brave queen. "Wow," Bramblekit said after a moment, hushed. "I never knew about all that."

Starpaw chuckled. "Longtail told it to me, and his mother before him, and her mentor before her. We tell the stories of our elders, and in that way we never forget where we came from."

Firestar purred, emerging from the entrance. "Well spoken, Starpaw."

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Thank you, sir." She picked up Featherkit and pat his head.

Firestar padded up beside her and smiled. "How are you feeling?"

Starpaw shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I'm a little upset, because Redfur gets to be a warrior and I don't, but I know that she started training earlier than me. It's not her fault that she's smarter, and stronger, and more liked, and funnier, and just about perfect in every way." Starpaw hissed and flattened her ears. "It's not her fault I can never catch up," she muttered.

Firestar sighed and laid his tail across her back. "Soon, Starpaw. I promise you that."

Starpaw huffed, mollified. She gently nudged Bramblekit and Featherkit. "Come on, you two. Why don't you go see if Jayfeather wants some help?"

Featherkit wrinkled his nose. "Yuck! I don't like herbs. They taste gross."

"Yeah!" his sister echoed. "Teach us some battle moves!"

"In one ear, out the other." Starpaw grimaced and turned to her mentor. "Was I like this when I was a kit?"

"Worse," he chuckled. "You thought that you could take on the whole of Shadowclan at four moons old."

Starpaw groaned with embarrassment. "Ugh, Starclan take me now." She padded out of the den, followed closely by the kits, and her mentor a few tail-lengths away, watching. "C'mon, we're going to play a game."

"A game?" Bramblekit asked, bouncing on her toes. "What is it?"

"It's called Ten Little Mice," she purred. "I'm going to close my eyes and count to ten, and you have to run and hide."

The kits chirped their approval, and Starpaw closed her eyes. "One little mouse, two little mice, three little mice…" The kits scampered off, their pawsteps loud in the camp. "Four little mice, five little mice, six little mice…" She heard an indignant grunt as one of the kits ran into a group of warriors, to her left. "Seven little mice, eight little mice, nine little mice…" The second kit hurtled towards the med den, their pawsteps loud in the camp. "Ten little mice! Ready or not, I'm hunting you!"

She opened her eyes, blinking at the sunlight. She sniffed and prowled about dramatically, growling for effect. "Where are you? I'm coming to find you!"

She heard a soft squeak, and turned towards where Brackenfur and Sorreltail were very pointedly not looking towards her. She smiled and padded over, tail lashing. "Gotcha!" she said, pulling a brown tail out from underneath Brackenfur. Bramblekit squeaked and protested as she was dragged into the sunlight.

The kit huffed and rubbed a paw over her ear. "I need to work harder on hiding."

Starpaw chuckled. "It's alright. Come on, let's go find your brother."

The two she-cat's padded towards the medicine den. Inside, the scent of drying burnet and marigold wafted over her nose, and she took a deep breath. Bramblekit wrinkled her nose, but she held her tongue and followed Starpaw.

Between the scents of herbs and mouse bile, Starpaw caught Featherkit's scent, and she purred. She reached into a pile of beech leaves and came out with the grey kitten on her paws. "There we are," she purred, licking his forehead.

He shook himself and stood up, flicking his tail. "How did you find me?"

"I caught your scent." She escorted the two kits outside the medicine den, away from possible poisons, and into the belly of camp. Sagepaw was awake by now, yawning as she groomed herself. Starpaw got an evil grin on her face and leaned down to the two kits. "Sagepaw is your target. Take her down!"

The kits yowled and charged at Sagepaw, leaping onto her. Sagepaw shrieked and spun around as the kits clambered onto her belly, but when she saw them, she let out a gasp and fell down, limp.

"Betrayed by my own clanmates! Oh, the agony!" she cried, flailing her paws in the air.

Bramblekit laughed in the most evil manner a four-moon-old kitten could muster, standing proudly on top of Sagepaw's shoulders. "Look upon me, Thunderclan, and despair! I have slain your greatest warrior, and soon, all of you will join her! Beg for mercy, clan cats! Beg for-"

"Alright, that's enough of that." Ferncloud gentle grabbed Bramblekit's scruff and pulled her off of Sagepaw, carrying her to the nursery with a satisfied air. Bramblekit protested as she was pulled away from her scene, and her brother did nothing to stop their mother, simply following his sister.

Sagepaw sat up, watching the queen and her children disappear into the nursery. Starpaw chirped and licked Sagepaw's shoulder in apology, and Sagepaw huffed. "When we have kits, I'll set them on you for revenge."

Starpaw chuckled. "Sure, Sagepaw." She settled down beside her friend and watched the camp, tail flicking languidly. "You know, it's nice that nothing's happening today. I mean, it's nice to sit back and watch the world with you."

Sagepaw smiled bashfully and leaned in to her. Starpaw welcomed the affection, purring. Sagepaw turned to her quietly. "Hey, when we're warriors…"

"Yeah?"

Sagepaw sighed and extracted herself. "C'mon, I'll tell you in the woods."

The two apprentices padded out of camp, heading north towards the old twolegplace. "So, what were you going to ask me?" Starpaw asked, brushing up beside her friend.

"Well…" Sagepaw flicked her ears, but a yowl cut them off. Starpaw felt her blood run cold.

"That's Redfur! She's in trouble!" The two ran for the source of the sound, and found Lakeflower pinning Redfur to the ground. Starpaw's sister yowled and writhed under Lakeflower, and Starpaw didn't even have to think. She snarled and pounced, claws extended. "Get off of my sister!"

Lakeflower shrieked as Starpaw collided with her. The apprentice hissed and spit at the warrior, who took one look at her and chucked her off.

Starpaw shook her head and snarled, preparing to pounce, until Redfur got between them. "Sis, stop," she pleaded, her face flush.

"But she was attacking you!"

"No, she really wasn't," Sagepaw said from the sidelines, and she seemed rather embarrassed.

"But what else would she be-"

 _Oh. OH._

Starpaw yelped and took a step back, suddenly realizing just what she had stumbled upon. "Sorry! Sorry, I'll just- um, I'll go."

Lakeflower shook her head. "No, wait!" She took a step forward, fur fluffed up. "It's not what it looks like, really. We were just, um…"

"Mating?" Sagepaw suggested.

"No! Well, yes, but- please don't tell anyone." Lakeflower dipped her head. "If the clan found out about us, I don't know how they'd react."

Sagepaw and Starpaw exchanged a glance. After a moment, Starpaw nodded and leaned into Lakeflower's ear. "If you hurt her, I will feed you to the crows."

Lakeflower chuckled. "Duly noted." She flicked her tail to Redfur. "C'mon, let's get some hunting in." Redfur nodded, following her mate (?) towards the eastern border.

Starpaw turned to her friend. "I think I need to wash my eyes with mouse bile."

Sagepaw nodded. "Let's head back to camp, alright? I'll tell you what I was going to say later."

She smiled. "Ok."


	13. FAQ

_Hey! I'm sorry for posting this so late, but as you've probably guessed by now, I'm a little busy and can't always work on my story. I currently have a project in school that I'm working on, plus an upcoming interview with the community college on taking classes over the summer, not to mention the fact that most of the writing is done on one computer that I share with my two little sisters. I try as hard as I can to get these chapters out, and you guys are always so sweet, but I need a bit of patience from you guys._

 _With all that said, as I've been going over the story, I realize that a couple of things I originally put in the explanation (which I deleted due to it being outdated) aren't actually present in the story, meaning that certain changes to canon have been going unanswered. Well, not anymore! Here is a list of a few questions you might have so far about the story._

 **Q: Why isn't Brambleclaw listed in the allegiances/Why is Graystripe deputy?**

A: One of the first changes I made to canon is the fight between Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw towards the end of Sunset. While Firestar is saved, Brambleclaw can't bring himself to kill his brother. Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw fight, and in canon Brambleclaw stabs his brother with the stick from the foxtrap. However, in this I changed it so that Hawkfrost kills Brambleclaw, ripping out his throat. He is about to advance on Firestar to finish him off, but Ashfur (who wanted Squirrelflight to see that her mate was a traitor), Squirrelflight, and Leafpool burst through the bushes. Ashfur and Hawkfrost keep up the charade of being enemies, and the patrol drives Hawkfrost off.

When Squirrelflight finds Brambleclaw's body, she is inconsolable, and seeks comfort in her sister. Ashfur tries to console her, but she snaps at him, saying that she will never take another mate now that Brambleclaw is dead. This displeases Ashfur greatly, which I'll get to after the next question. Firestar, in his grief, names his daughter deputy. She willingly steps down once Graystripe returns, saying that she trusts the elder warrior with the clan's future.

 **Q: Okay, so if Brambleclaw is dead, what happens to Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfeather?**

When Squirrelflight finds Leafpool with the kits, she offers to take in the children. When they return to camp, she says that they are Brambleclaw's kits, and that she didn't tell the clan because she knew it would only bring heartbreak. When the kits are four moons old, she tells them that she found them with their mother, who couldn't care for them, and that she took them in. They press her, and she reveals that it is Leafpool, but they must keep it a secret, or the clan will be upset. When they ask her if that still means she's their mother, she smiles and tells them that of course she's their mother. The kits are satisfied with this knowledge, but they keep it a secret.

 **Q: You said something about Ashfur. What did you mean by it?**

Well, along comes the infamous fire scene, but I switched it around a little. Squirrelflight shows the three the secret exit to camp, but her strength is almost gone. When they become trapped by the wall of fire, Ashfur blocks the way out. He gives his speal about how getting revenge on her, and how he was always there for her. He gave her everything, and he was always supportive of her, but she never loved him back. In desperation, Squirrelflight pounces and attacks him. He easily beats her back, but at this point Lionblaze snaps and attacks Ashfur. Together, Squirrelflight and Lionblaze throw Ashfur back, and he disappears into the forest. Squirrelflight manages to get her children across the bridge, but she collapses, and has to be carried by her children to safety.

Afterwards, Squirrelflight is in a fragile state, and Leafpool isn't sure if she can be saved. While she's in the medicine den, Ashfur sneaks in to seek revenge, but Jayfeather and his siblings were waiting for Ashfur. While the original plan was to catch him in the act and reveal his betrayal to the clan, Hollyleaf panics and attacks him. They roll into camp, and they fight to kill. When Ashfur tries to pounce and attack her, Hollyleaf deals a killing blow to his neck. She is labeled a murderer for (as far as the camp knows) killing a clan-mate in cold blood, and she is driven out, to the dismay of her family.

 **Q: Who are all these new cats that you added in? Aren't the allegiances crowded enough?**

A: I see you in the background, and to that I say

 _ **MY STORY. MY RULES. Ha.**_

At sometime in the story, I'm planning to kill off close to half the cats listed in the allegiances in a great disaster, and most of the new characters are simply legacies of the characters from the original story. But, for further explanation, here is a short list of all the cats I added in, their backstory, and their age.

-Lakeflower: A kit found half-drowned on Thunderclan territory. After a short excursion to find out if any of the clans had lost a kit (they hadn't), she was named Lakekit, and Daisy became her adoptive mother. As of Chapter Ten, she is a little less that 16 moons old. (For reference, Starpaw and Redpaw are 12 moons old.)

-Steel: A rouge, and Dawnfur's former mate. She left him shortly before discovering that she was pregnant, and all but one of her kits (Redfur is Jayfeather's) are his. He is around 48 moons old.

-Dawnfur: A former kittypet who joined the clans after leaving Steel. She is currently mates with Jayfeather, though they keep it a secret. She is around 28 moons old.

-Chillfang: A former kittypet, who now lives with Hawkfrost as his mate near the Thunderpath. She has his kits, who will become more important as the story progresses. She is around 32 moons old.

-Kelsie: Steel's new mate, who has an almost reverent view of him. She lives with him at the Horse Place, and may or may not have his kits later on. She is around 18 moons old.

-Peach: A former kittypet, who currently scrounges for scraps in Twolegplace. She will become more important as the story progresses. She is around 9 moons old.

 **Q:** **Okay, okay, so that's cleared up. But since Starpaw's twelve moons old, shouldn't she be a warrior by now? Why is she still an apprentice?**

A: Remember how Starpaw states in the first chapter that Redpaw was apprenticed a moon earlier than her? And how she was the smallest of her litter? And, while it hasn't been brought up yet, she barely survived past her first few nights due to inhaling a lot of fluid? Starpaw is the runt of her litter, and as such will never reach the full capabilities of a regular warrior, due to her frail body. Now, that doesn't mean that she will be an apprentice forever, she just needs a bit of extra time to grow and train so that she can build up enough muscle. She also has to learn to fight in a different manner from her clanmates, prioritizing speed and quick injuries over any wrestling or harsh blows. As such, she will remain an apprentice alongside Sagepaw, and the two will become warriors alongside each other.

 **Q: Can you give me a reasonable estimate on how often you'll update?**

A: No. I'll try to get a chapter out each week, but like I said earlier, it could easily fluctuate.

 **Q: Is Starpaw part of the "Kin of your Kin" prophecy?**

A: No. And if I say anymore, I'll be giving away massive spoilers.

 **Q: What about the reincarnation subplot? Are you going to do anything with that.**

A: I know I keep repeating myself, but no. No. Absolutely not. That plotline was out of nowhere, and I'm not subjecting you guys to it at all.

 **Q: Can I message you if I have more questions about your story?**

A: Yes! Please, do. Heck, if you want, I'll share the Doc I use to write the story on with you. I love hearing about what you guys think and how I can improve my writing.

 **Q: One last question. What is Starpaw's warrior name going to be?**

A: I actually haven't decided yet. It's a toss-up between Starsplash, Starfall, or (and this is a big or) if I'm feeling really salty about the source material, maybe something starting with Comet- instead. If you want, you can message me which one is your favorite, or you can leave it in your review.


	14. Chapter Eleven: Upwards Climbing

Starpaw flicked her ears. Outside camp, the gentle breeze was picking up, and on the wind came the scent of rain. She wrinkled her nose at the scent. _Great, now Mousefur will nag me for dry bedding._

Firestar padded up, laying a tail across Starpaw's back. "The gathering is tonight. Do you think you could make the journey, or would it do you better to stay home?"

Starpaw bit her tongue, holding back a harsh retort. "I'm not made of dewdrops, y'know."

Firestar shot her a look, and she dipped her head with embarrassment. He sighed and stood up. "If you think that you can make the journey in the cold, then I'll take you tonight." He shook out his fur, joints popping quietly. He padded off to find Graystripe, probably to ask his advice on who to bring to the gathering.

Starpaw stared at her paws for a minute, flexing her claws. _I need to be stronger!_ She hissed in irritation and exited the camp, nodding a quiet goodbye to Sorreltail, who was guarding the camp.

In the forest, she relaxed, letting her anxiety wash out of her pelt. She caught the scent of a mouse on the breeze, but her aim wasn't hunting tonight. She padded off towards the Shadowclan border, hoping to catch sight of Tawnypelt again.

She was about halfway to the border when she heard a rustling in the bushes behind her. She stiffened and dropped to the ground, belly brushing against the grass. _An enemy?_ She prowled towards the noise, trying to catch the scent.

Just as she was about to pounce, out stepped Chillfang, the flame point's tail twitching absently. Starpaw let out a silent sigh of relief at the sight of the familiar queen. "Hey, Chillfang!" she purred, emerging from her hiding place.

Chillfang chirped a greeting. "Hello, little apprentice. How fares the hunting?"

Starpaw sighed. "Well, my sister became a warrior two moons ago, but I'm still stuck as an apprentice."

Chillfang hummed sympathetically, flicking her tail. "Y'know, I bet a little battle practice just might be what you need to help you get an edge in the fight," she commented, standing up.

Starpaw nodded, looping around the queen. "C'mon! Show me, I can take it!" Suddenly, the world flipped, and Starpaw went with it. She fell to the ground with an 'oomph', but before she could get up, the queen bit at her scruff, shaking roughly. Starpaw shrieked and struggled against the hold, but then she remembered how she would shake her prey to kill it, and of a particularly stubborn robin that had managed to escape her.

Starpaw waited until Chillfang pulled the apprentice towards herself. Then, her paw quickly darted out and latched onto Chillfang's fur sticking out from her neck. She used her newfound traction to swivel out of the queen's jaws and push herself onto the ground, forcing Chillfang to move with her if she didn't want to snap her neck.

The queen grunted as she fell onto her shoulder, the apprentice standing above her triumphantly. "Did you see that?"

Chillfang nodded, flicking her ears. "See? You can do a lot of things warriors twice your size couldn't possibly hope for." She purred and flicked a tail over Starpaw's back. "So stop thinking like a dog, and start thinking like a fox, alright?"

Starpaw chuckled, ducking out of the way. "Yeah, alright. I guess that makes sense." She turned her attention to the wind, bringing on it the scent of prey. "Best of luck with your kits, Chillfang!" she called behind her as she rushed off, flicking her tail.

Now that she was alone again, Starpaw could focus on the scent of the prey around her. Even though her goal in the beginning wasn't concerned with prey, now her belly rumbled from lack of food. _If I catch a bit of prey, then Firestar will know I'm supposed to be a warrior._

She was closer to the border with Shadowclan now, the scent markers a foul stench in the cool air. She wrinkled her nose at the smell and moved further north, hoping to avoid being downwind of it.

Suddenly, a shriek shattered the silence of the forest, which was quickly cut off. Starpaw whipped around, heart thumping wildly in her chest. "Hold on!" she called, dashing towards the source of the scream. "I'm coming! Stay put!"

Starpaw burst into a small copse, and was immediately overwhelmed with the scent of blood. A gray she-cat, not much older than herself, stood over a second cat with a horrified expression painted on her face. The shadowclan warrior was panicking, digging her claws into the ground and tearing up soil. "Russetfur! Please, don't die! I don't know what to do!" she wailed.

Starpaw pushed her fear down inside herself and hissed, startling the warrior. "Fetch me cobwebs! Now!" she snarled, pushing the warrior to the side. "Where are the injuries?" she asked, sniffing the injured body. She scanned the cat beneath her paws, fur matted with blood and mud.

"Her neck is ripped up. Are you a medicine cat?" she asked.

Starpaw hissed. "I'm as close as you've got right now! Now go get me some cobwebs!" The warrior scurried off without a word, coming back with a pawful of dirty cobwebs covered in sap. Starpaw sighed and grabbed the bundle from her without a word. "Go fetch your medicine cat." The warrior nodded and ran off towards Shadowclan.

The injured cat began coughing roughly, spitting out chunks of bloody tissue. Starpaw grimaced and set to work on parting the fur so that she could put the webs on the wound. She hissed in fear as the cat's breathing suddenly became weaker. "Come on, come on! If you die, then I would have gotten my paws bloody for nothing. So don't you dare die and leave your clanmates behind!"

Starpaw beat weakly at the cat's stomach, but it was no use. Her breathing got shallower and shallower, until a final sigh passed through the cat's mouth.

 _No_. She shook her head. "I'm sorry."

A yowl of anguish split the forest. "Russetfur!" Starpaw was pushed aside roughly, and Blackstar leaned down, pressing his nose to her pelt. He murmured quiet words to the fur of the she-cat, nudging her gently. Starpaw watched from the side, feeling useless. _I'm sorry I failed you, Russetfur._

A brown tom turned to her, his tail drooping with the sorrow of being too late to save his clanmate. "Shrewfoot told me about her injuries, but it was too late. She walks with Starclan now."

Starpaw dipped her head. "I'm sorry. When I heard the scream, I ran as fast as I could but…"

The tomcat nodded. "I need to examine the body and figure out who killed her." He flicked his tail and padded up to Russetfur's body, gently laying a tail on Blackstar's back.

The leader nodded and rubbed a paw at his face. "I'm sorry, Littlecloud. I'll leave you to your work." He moved to the side, muscles rippling under his snowy pelt.

Starpaw stood off to the side, watching the scene unfold. Blackstar glared and snarled at her. "If I find out that you are somehow responsible for this…"

Starpaw's pelt bristled with fear, and she ducked her tail underneath herself. "I only was trying to save her."

He bared his teeth in a thinly-veiled threat. "We will learn soon enough, young apprentice."

Littlecloud flicked his tail. "I doubt that it could be the apprentice, despite what little evidence we have. The little bit of fur I found between Russetfur's claws is grey. She's too young, though, and certainly wouldn't have helped if she were the murderer" He sighed, eyes turning to the horizon. "Other than that, I can't tell who did this. But whoever it was, this was planned. Their scent was hidden with mud, and they must have only exchanged blows for a few seconds."

Blackstar's eyes flared with fury, a flame burning in him. "Who would dare target my deputy?"

 _The deputy of Shadowclan!_ Starpaw lowered her gaze to the floor of the forest, trying not to drown in the scent of blood. "Mud…" she thought for a second, flicking her tail. "Could it have been Steel?" she murmured.

Littlecloud cocked his head. "Who's this Steel?"

Starpaw bit the inside of her cheek. _Do I tell them?_ After a moment, she decided that they only needed to know the most important parts for the moment. "He's a rogue, and a dangerous one at that. He tried to steal a litter of kittens two moons ago, and we still haven't caught him." She stood up. "I could help, if you want me to?"

"Do you presume that we need Thunderclan's help for everything?" Blackstar hissed, but a gentle word from Littlecloud silenced him.

"If it really is this cat you're talking about, then Shadowclan will be sure to stop him before he takes another life."

Starpaw nodded. Despite everything, she couldn't help but feel guilty at Russetfur's death. _I could have saved her._ She watched as Blackstar moved the body onto his back, the tail dragging on the ground. For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of righteous fury. _She had time! She didn't need to die._ She turned her gaze to the sky, and watched as the clouds blotted out the faint leaf-fall sun. _I'm going to find your killer, Russetfur. And I will avenge your death._

 **Yeah, this one was really rushed, and kinda dumb, but I swear that this will have an impact later on. Hope you enjoy!**


	15. Chapter Twelve: A Warrior Made

**This bit could just be viewed as a continuation of the last chapter, so there's that, I guess. I would replace the original chapter, but this seemed more fun. Feel free to send me hate mail, I actually like it.**

"What? Are you sure it was Russetfur?"

Starpaw ducked her head and nodded. "I really tried to save her, Leafpool, but it was too much. The bleeding was heavy and I had nothing to staunch it with."

The medicine cat sighed. "And on the day before the gathering. Starclan preserve us." She paced back and forth in Firestar's den, digging her claws into the sand underneath her. Firestar watched with careful eyes at the display, his head ducked. "Well? Should we say something tonight?"

Firestar shook his head. In the early evening light, his face looked less like a brand of flame, and more the weary color of dying embers. "This is Shadowclan's sorrow to bear. Not ours."

Starpaw's fur bristled. "I think it might have been Steel."

Leafpool's gaze turned dark for a second. "That rogue? Why does he hate the clans so badly?"

Firestar turned to Leafpool and whispered something quietly in her ear. Leafpool nodded and turned to Starpaw. "We need to be more careful from now on. But Firestar agrees with me, and it's time to tell the clan the news."

Starpaw followed her mentor and Leafpool out of the den, and watched as Firestar padded slowly up the High Rock. Sagepaw bounded up to her, flicking her tail. "What's going on?" she asked. Starpaw shrugged, and the two padded up to the stone.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath High Rock for a clan meeting!" The warriors and apprentices bounded up to the stone, elders and queens following shortly after them. Bramblekit and Featherkit scrambled up, and even though they were out of line, Ferncloud simply smiled and let them sit next to her.

Firestar smiled down at his clan, and Starpaw could see a glimmer of the warrior Firestar must have once been, bold and fierce and unafraid of combat. "The cats coming to the gathering tonight are Sandstorm, Graystripe, Brackenfur, Thornclaw, Spiderleg, Berrynose, Poppyfrost, Lionblaze, Millie, Redfur, Lakeflower, Briarstorm, Bumbleflower, and Mousefur." He paused for a moment, then stopped. "Sagepaw and Starpaw, I need you two to do an important job of watching the clan tonight.

The clan murmured quietly at the odd declaration, and Starpaw cocked her head. _What is he talking about? What happened to us going to the gathering?_ Firestar lifted his tail for silence, and then continued. "I don't want you two to protect the camp as apprentices. I want warriors."

Starpaw gasped. _Warrior!_ It felt as though her pelt was going to fly off, her claws prickling with pure energy. "Starpaw and Sagepaw, step forward," Firestar said, looking down at her. She scrambled forward, careful not to trip on her own tail. Sagepaw approached reverently, her eyes shining like the moon.

"I, Firestar, leader of Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained long and hard to understand your warrior code, and I commend them to you as warriors in turn." He turned to Starpaw. "Starpaw, do you promise to protect your clan and uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your own life?"

She nodded. "Yes! I mean, I do."

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment on, you will be known as Starsplash. Starclan honors your integrity and bravery, and honors you as a full warrior of Thunderclan." Starsplash stepped forward proudly and licked her leader's shoulder, and he purred, resting his muzzle on her head. "I am proud to have you as one of my warriors, Starsplash. I know you will serve the clan well."

He turned to Sagepaw. "Sagepaw, you have learned quickly over these past moons with us, taking to the ways of Thunderclan as a squirrel takes to the trees. You are already at the age needed to be a warrior, and so it is only fitting that we welcome you into Thunderclan." He beckoned her forward. "Sagepaw, do you promise to protect your clan and uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your own life?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment on, you will be known as Sagewhisker. Starclan honors your courage and ambtion, and honors you as a full warrior of Thunderclan."

The clan yowled out their names, their faces filled with pride and respect for their clanmates. "Starsplash! Sagewhisker! Starsplash! Sagewhisker!" Sagewhisker did the same as her friend and licked her leader's shoulder respectfully. Firestar smiled and stepped back, flicking his tail.

"Tonight, the two of you will hold a silent vigil, guarding the camp alone until dawn." The two young warriors nodded solemnly, and Starsplash gazed over at her friend. Her dark red pelt shone like silver in the early moonlight, her bright eyes wide with excitement. Firestar turned back to the clan below him. "The cats who I called to go to the gathering, we leave in a few minutes. Get ready." He bounded down the rock and purred, brushing his face to Sandstorm's.

Starsplash flicked her tail to Sagewhisker, and the two padded to the entrance in content silence. Sagewhisker turned to her and twitched her whiskers, linking tails with her. Starsplash felt her face heat up, but she kept at Sagewhisker's pace. The two took their places right outside the camp, staring out into the near silent forest.

 _So this is it,_ she thought. _We're warriors._

Starpaw purred and flicked her tail around her paws. The troop of cats who were going to the gathering poured upwards and out, towards the direction of the lake. Redfur licked her sister's forehead as she passed. "I'll tell you all about the gathering, Starsplash!"

Hearing her sister say her name filled Starsplash with an odd sense of justice. _Now I'm just as good as you._ She shook her head. After all, Redfur would never do anything to hurt her, and she knew that her sister saw them as equals. But… she couldn't help but feel a little wiggling seed of hurt everytime her sister one-upped her.

But that didn't matter. Because tonight, with Sagewhisker beside her, the forest air cold and still with silence- tonight, she was Starsplash, the warrior of Thunderclan. And nothing would ever take that away from her.


	16. Chapter Thirteen: Love of Kin

Starsplash shivered in the early morning air, her breath curling around her like bursts of smoke. She turned to Sagewhisker and nudged her gently to keep her from dozing off. The gathering patrol had already come home hours ago, and now they just had to wait until dawn for their vigil to end. _A few more minutes,_ Starsplash thought, her eyes flickering to the light pink streaks on the horizon.

The snap of a twig out in the forest startled her from her thoughts. She sniffed, and the whiff of something foul made her fur stand on end.

Sagewhisker jumped to her feet, tail lashing. "Fox!" she hissed quietly.

Starsplash unsheathed her claws. Redfur had told her of a fox that had been menacing Shadowclan when she had come back from the gathering. Whether or not it was the same fox didn't matter in the immediate, though, because she knew that one moment of hesitation could make the difference of whether or not her clanmates lived that morning. "Where is it?"

"Southern end! Near the breach in the brambles!" Sagewhisker answered tersely. Her claws dug into the sand underneath her, fear scent strong on the breeze.

 _The secret exit!_ "Warn the clan! I'll distract it!" The two warriors raced off, and Starsplash rounded around as fast as she could, stopping where he brambles parted. The foul stench was near overpowering, and she could see the thin face of the fox prowling forward. "Don't touch my clan, ugly!" she yowled, racing forward with claws unsheathed.

The ugly creature yipped as she raked her front claws down its muzzle. It snarled, breath stinking of crowfood. Cracked yellow teeth lunged at her, and Starsplash knew that she couldn't last long against the predator.

Starsplash jumped back, her tail barely missing the fox's gaping jaws. She hissed and whipped a paw out, pulling reddish-brown fur with it. The fox growled and rushed forward, its eyes lit with bloodlust. Its bite nicked her ear, and Starsplash yowled in pain. She snarled and went for the fox's throat, but it got back quickly, ripping out a chunk of gray fur with it.

The sight of her own fur on the fox's muzzle made her blood boil. Starsplash arched her back and hissed, tail curled over her back. "Bring it, carrion-breath!"

A yowl of fury was all the warning the fox got before the claws of Brackenfur, Dawnfur, and Icecloud attacked, scoring injuries across the brutish fox's back. It yowled in pain, then growled one last time before fleeing into the forest. Icecloud and Brackenfur chased after it, and their battle cries echoed through the forest.

Dawnfur's eyes shone with pride. "Oh, my little warrior! I'm so proud of you," she cooed, licking her daughter's wounds gently. Starsplash groaned in protest, but she accepted the affection with a graceful smile. "Come on, let's get you inside. You've done plenty tonight."

She allowed her mother to lead her back inside, where the clan was crowding around Sagewhisker. Bramblekit and her brother came scrambling up to Starsplash, eyes wide.

Bramblekit gasped at the sight of blood on Starsplash's ear. "You got hurt!"

Starsplash simply purred and leaned down, muzzle to muzzle with the kit. "It's nothing to worry about, little warrior. I imagine I'll have plenty of battle scars by the time you're an apprentice."

Jayfeather huffed. "Good warriors don't get scars. They give them." Still, his expression was full of pride, and he was gentle as he placed a pawful of cobwebs on her ear. Dawnfur purred, and quickly flicked her tail to touch his.

Starsplash thought back to the conversation she and Redfur had heard all those moons ago, Dawnfur treating Jayfeather as though he were her mate. When she saw them now, all she felt a burst of happiness at the affection between her mother and Jayfeather. Dawnfur deserved to be happy, and of all the toms in the clan, Jayfeather was a good cat. _I trust your decision, mom. Even if Steel is my blood, Jayfeather will still be my father._

Featherkit squeaked, "You saved us! You chased off that mangy fox!" He flitted around Starsplash, and she reflected that this was the most excited that she'd ever seen him about battle.

The gray warrior chuckled with embarrassment. "Oh, no. The other warriors defended the clan, I simply held it off long enough for reinforcements to drive it off."

Ferncloud purred. "Even so, the two of you kept us safe, while reflecting on what you've learned. That is the point of the vigil, after all." She swept her tail around her kits protectively, her eyes round and soft. "I hope you two are proud of yourselves. You have a lot of reason to be."

Starpaw's chest filled with pride. "Thank you, Ferncloud," she purred, but a yawn interrupted her. She blinked a couple times, eyes heavy now that the threat was gone.

Jayfeather chuckled. "Well, sleepy warrior, I think you've done your job." He padded off to the medicine den, and after a final farewell to her daughter, Dawnfur padded after him.

Sagewhisker chirped and curled her tail around her friend's. "Come on, our vigil's over. See, the sun's come up." Sure enough, a bright brand of gold blazed across the sky, turning the morning sky into an array of beautiful colors. Sagewhisker purred and nudged her friend gently towards the warrior's den. "Let's head to bed, before we miss the chance."

Starsplash nodded, the adrenaline fading from her body. The two ignored the persistent questions of, where two freshly-made nests sat towards a shady spot. In the middle of one of the nests was a sprig of lavender. _Redfur did this,_ she thought, affection flooding her. Her mild annoyance at her sister's absence dissipated when she saw her curled up next to Lakeflower, their pelts practically melting together. _She probably just wants to be next to her mate. That's normal, I think_. She settled in the lavender nest, and Sagewhisker sat beside her. The two curled tails together, and darkness enveloped Starsplash as she fell into sleep.

* * *

 _Starsplash opened her eyes. Soft grass rustled around her, yellow and green stalks brushing together quietly. She purred and stretched, ruffling her fur. On the gentle breeze came the scent of heather blossoms, and_

" _Hey!" a friendly tom's voice called out. Starsplash turned and smiled, lifting her tail in greeting. A small tabby tom bounded over, his fur fluffed out like a thistle. He smiled up at her, kitten-blue eyes wide with excitement. "You're new around here, which means we're on equal footing. I'm Snakepaw. What's your name?"_

" _Starsplash."_

 _The brown tom chuckled. "What an odd name!" He turned and bounded through the field. "Come on! I wanna show you something!" The two came to the edge of a dark forest, the smell sour and foreign. Starsplash hesitated at the edge, staring into the darkness. She could hear the faint sound of whispers and yowls from the woods, and she got the feeling that once she step foot in the place, it would sink its teeth into her and never let go._

 _Snakepaw, however, seemed unperturbed and purred reassuringly to her. "This is where Mom and Dad go sometimes, but I'm not allowed to go without them." He flicked his tail and ran off to where a fallen log hung over a little stream, casting a shadow on the running water. He purred and scraped away a large piece of bark, where three small nests rested in the hollow owl-hole. "This is my special hideout. I used to hang out here with Cherrykit sometimes, but then…" HIs voice dropped off, and he curled his tail around himself._

 _Starsplash felt a twinge of pity for the young cat. She reached out a paw and patted his shoulder reassuringly, in an effort to try and calm him. "Hey, it's okay. What happened?"_

" _She died," he murmured quietly. He rolled onto his back, reaching a paw out as if he were going to scrape out the sky. "We were playing near the south end of the horseplace. She saw a squirrel and started running after it. We tried to stop her, but she didn't see the monster until it was too late." His voice broke, and he rubbed at his face, trying to regain his composure. "Her legs were really messed up, and she was in a lot of pain. Momma said that keeping her alive was cruel, and… she put her out of her misery."_

 _Starsplash felt her stomach turn at the thought._ That kit could have survived _! she thought. The fact that her own mother had done the deed made something within her rear its head, and she had the urge to track down the kit's mother and turn her to mouse-meat. And saving the kit wouldn't have even bit that hard. It had been done before, and in worse scenarios than just broken legs. "Why did she kill her? If you had taken the kit to a Cutter or a medicine cat, she could have easily lived."_

 _Snakepaw shrugged his shoulders. "Mom knows best. She said that she had to kill her quickly, or else she would go to Starclan a cripple."_

 _Starsplash cringed at the word. She had heard it tossed around in regards to certain cats, or when confronting enemy patrols. Any cat who wasn't at peak perfection would be subject to it, regardless of their skill as a warrior, and she hated it. "Well, whoever your mom is, it seems like she's more concerned about how she's seen by others than the needs of you and your littermates."_

 _Snakepaw turned away, face clouded with thought. "Maybe."_

 _A little calico appeared over the horizon. "Hey, Snakepaw! Who's that?" She was a pretty thing, with a long feathery tail almost as big as her. She scrambled over to them, stopping short of actually falling on the two._

 _Snakepaw laughed goodnaturedly, breaking the somber mood that had developed between the two. "Hey, Lilypaw. This is my friend, Starsplash!" He flicked her with his tail, and she growled. The two wrestled good-naturedly for a moment, finally separating a moment later._

 _Starsplash looked at the two side by side. "How old are you two, anyway?" she asked._

 _The calico placed her tail over Snakepaw's muzzle before he could answer. "Six! We're six moons old!"_

 _Starpaw cocked her head at the odd tone in her voice, but she ignored it. "You're awful small for six moons old."_

 _Lilypaw ducked her head. "Don't worry, really. We're just small. It's in our blood, yeah?"_

 _Snakepaw nodded. "Yeah! Mom and Dad are big, which means we got all the small left in 'em!"_

 _Starsplash chuckled. "I'm fairly certain that's not how it works, but sure, if you say so." She flicked her tail. "Do you two know where we are?"_

 _Lilypaw nodded. "Yeah! We're in Limbo!"_

Limbo? _Starsplash shook her head. "Can't say that I know what that is."_

 _Snakepaw purred, puffing out his chest._ Must be proud to explain something to a warrior _, Starsplash thought. "Limbo is the place in between Starclan and the other place."_ Other place? " _It's where you go before your fate is decided, and it's also where some cats, like me and Lilypaw, get to hang out in our dreams. It's 'cause we're special, right?" He turned to his sister for confirmation, and she nodded._

" _And if we're really good, Starclan cats come around and teach us to fight! Rrow!" She pounced on her brother, and the two exchanged kitten blows. Starsplash chuckled and split the two apart gently._

 _She flicked her tail and looked to the sky, dark and inky and yet somehow beautiful, like the shadow of the moon on a tree. Here, it was as though she was both elder and kit, wise and naive, both and neither. "What's at the edge of the field?" she asked, pointing with her tail to a place where the field dropped off into the void._

 _Snakepaw chirped an answer, "Oh! That's one way to wake up. You jump off and into it, and then you wake up in your nest."_

 _Starsplash nodded, turning back to the two apprentices. "Why don't you show me around, if you two know so much about this place?"_

 _Lilypaw nodded energetically. "Come on! Follow me!" She scampered off, her brother fast on her pawsteps. Starsplash shook her head and followed the two as they ran around, crossing through trees and field, until finally the apprentices' energy was spent, and they collapsed in a happy heap under the shade of an old oak tree._

 _Starsplash's gaze turned back to the horizon, where the land fell out into the void._ How long have I been here? _she thought. After a moment, she flicked her tail with decision. "I really should be getting back. I don't know how much time's passed in the real world, and I might be having to get to my duties."_

" _Bye! Bye!" The two apprentices chirped their goodbyes as Starsplash padded to the starry edge of the field, where beyond lay an empty expanse of stars and space. She took a deep breath and leapt._


	17. Chapter Fourteen: The Bonds Between Us

She woke to the sound of gentle thunder in the distance, and sighed with relief at being back in her nest. She opened her eyes, and the soft _pitter-patter_ of little raindrops on the roof of the warrior's den calmed her. She stood and stretched, fluffing out her pelt. The sleeping warriors around her stayed silent as she padded out, brushing through the soft entrance.

She twitched her whiskers as stray drops fell, then quickly darted off towards the medicine den. Leafpool nodded cordially to her, before returning to the sorting of herbs. Jayfeather was nowhere to be found, and considering the fact that Dawnfur wasn't around camp, she went to the reasonable conclusion that the two wanted some alone time. Inside, the scent of dried herbs helped to drown out the chill from the rain, and she sighed in relief.

Redfur purred and padded inside the den, shaking off. She looped her tail with her sister in silent camaraderie, and she brushed shoulders with Starsplash. "Knew I'd find you in here, ya big nerd," she chuckled, ears flicking. "I'm glad you're finally a warrior. Now I can find you a cute mate!"

"Oh, shut up!" She laughed and bat a paw at her sister's face, but the easy bond the two had shared as kittens seemed restored.

Redfur smiled. "Come on, let's go hunting. I'm sure we'll find something."

The two slipped out, prowling through the chill of the forest. The rain dampened and dulled the scents of prey, but it also hid the cats' scents and sounds as they stalked.

After a little while, Redfur caught scent of a shrew. She slowly waved her tail, the tip twitching against the fallen leaves. They stalked forward, Redfur taking the lead. The little creature was nibbling against a root, teeth pulling at the bark. Redfur quickly moved forward, and with a lightning-fast bite the shrew was dead in her jaws.

She purred and dropped the fresh-kill, burying it under the root. "We'll stop by later and pick it up, but for now let's keep going."

They padded onwards, clinging to the bushes and undergrowth for some semblance of cover. After a few minutes, Starsplash shook her head and sighed. "We'll do better if we split up," she said. "I'll take the southern end, you take the northern."

The two went their separate ways, and Starsplash took a moment to listen silently to the forest. After a moment, she heard the familiar scrabble of claws against the forest floor, and the squeak of a vole meeting its end. She smirked. _Redfur found her mark._

She padded forward, only to stop in shock. Instead of her sister, a black she-cat stood in front of her, bright green eyes wide with surprise. Hanging from her mouth was the limp body of a vole, and her scent was foul and oily, like the thunderpath. Her fur, thick and dark, stood out in clumps and knots.

The two stared at each other for a moment, still as oak trees. After a moment, the she-cat dropped her prey. "Do you know who I am?" she asked quietly, voice low and rumbling like the murmur of a river. She refused to make eye contact, but Starsplash knew the she-cat was watching her.

Starsplash shook her head. "I feel like I should."

The loner chuckled without any humor, skinny frame shaking. "My name is Hollyleaf, if that helps."

The name shot through her, raising fear in her belly. Starsplash took a step back, hackles raising. "I've heard of you, traitor! You murdered your clanmate!" She bared her teeth. "Not another step closer, or I'll scream loud enough for all of Thunderclan to come running!"

"Is that what they've told you?" The loner glared at her, irritation written on her face. "I never meant to kill him," she growled, claws flexing. "Besides, he deserved what he got."

Starsplash watched her carefully, tail lashing. "What do you mean?" she cautioned, watching the she-cat. Even if she didn't try anything, the only thing she knew about Hollyleaf was that she was Firestar's granddaughter and the sister to Jayfeather and Lionblaze, and that she had murdered a warrior named Ashfur. "Don't try anything, either. I've got my eye on you."

The black she-cat laughed, voice raspy. "Oh, please. I'd never hurt a clanmate."

Starsplash fixed her with a disbelieving stare. "Really? You expect me to believe that? Literally the only thing I know about you is that you murdered a clanmate."

Hollyleaf glared. "If it makes it any better, he tried to kill Firestar. Does that settle it for you?"

Starsplash stood still, dumbstruck. _Why would anyone want to hurt Firestar?_ She shook her head and stepped back. If that was true, then perhaps Hollyleaf could be an ally. "I- I guess?"

"Good," said Hollyleaf, voice cooling. She purred and began to eat her vole. Despite the she-cat's easy nature, she gobbled the creature with a furious hunger, and through her thick fur Starsplash could see ribs standing out against her belly.

The little rodent was reduced to a pile of bones, and Hollyleaf licked her lips in satisfaction. She dug a small hole and deposited the remains in it, burying her prey with respect. "Ah, I haven't eaten like that in a long time." She stretched, ragged pelt straining. The she-cat fixed gazes with Starsplash, and her expression softened. "I never meant to kill him," she murmured, gaze darkening.

"So why did you?" she asked.

Hollyleaf sighed. "I was scared. I meant to protect my family, but I only ended up hurting my clan." She growled and dug thorn-sharp claws into the grass beneath her. "Did they tell you?" she asked, voice trembling. "Did they tell you what he tried to do?"

Starsplash shook her head. "All I know is that he had something of a thing for Squirrelflight."

The loner laughed. "An understatement. When my mother rejected him, he went off the deep end. It was the night of the fire when he tried to kill us. Said he wanted to 'show her how she hurt him.' He was going to try it again, so I had to stop him before mom got hurt." Her eyes flashed with worry. "How is mom?"

Starsplash flicked her tail, relaxing slightly. "She's okay. Her apprentice became a warrior, and she seems pretty happy." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Redfur curiously watching the two of them, and she twitched her whiskers, indicating that it was safe to approach.

Redfur emerged, tail sweeping low against the ground. "Sis, who is this?" she asked, turning her aside.

Starsplash sighed. "How much did you already hear?"

"She was explaining why she murdered that cat."

Starsplash flicked her tail. "Well, at least there's not too much to explain. She's Hollyleaf, Jayfeather's and Lionblaze's sister."

Hollyleaf got to her feet, black pelt folding to her skinny frame. "You know them? Can you bring them here? I want to speak with my brothers." There was a desperate undertone in her voice, and her eyes shone with longing.

Redfur glanced between her and the loner, before turning to Starsplash. "What do you think?" she whispered.

Starsplash closed her eyes to think. This cat was dangerous if she had killed before, and Starsplash barely knew anything about her. She seemed half-mad, and for all Starsplash knew, she was planning to get revenge on her brethren. There was no way to know if she was telling the truth, no way to guarantee safety for her step-father.

And yet… Hollyleaf was practically her aunt. She had killed to protect her kin, and only to protect them. She had been calm and patient with Starsplash, despite everything to lose if Starsplash betrayed her. And, perhaps behind it all, she felt a bit of sympathy for the sister trying to connect with her siblings one last time.

"You fetch Jayfeather and Lionblaze," she said, deciding that she would believe the loner. "I'll stay here and watch her."

Redur gave her a disbelieving look, but turned and disappeared through the bushes, towards camp. Starsplash turned back to Hollyleaf and sat, curling her tail around her paws. "Let's take turns asking questions, get to know each other."

The loner stared at her, before sighing and rolling onto her side. "I suppose it can't hurt."

"Why didn't you tell the truth?" she asked quietly.

Hollyleaf huffed, shaking. After a moment, Starsplash realized that she was laughing, and the sound reminded her vaguely of Firestar. She flicked a paw over her face and smiled humourlessly. "Oh, please. You barely believe me as is, and you didn't know him. Do you think that my clanmates, who had grown up alongside Ashfur and trained with him, would believe the cat who held him limp in her jaws?"

"Yeah, that makes sense." Starsplash licked at her chest. "Your turn."

"Whose kit are you?"

Starsplash bit her lip. "Well, my mother Dawnfur was a loner before she had me and my sister, but she's a loyal warrior now. Steel is our blood father, but he's fox-hearted, and we try to stay away from him. Ferncloud helped raise me, but she's more like an aunt than a mother. And sometimes Jayfeather stops by and checks up on us."

Hollyleaf shrugged. "Doesn't much sound like my brother. Did he hit his head and switch personalities with a friendly cat?"

Starsplash chuckled. "I don't think so, but he was the one to bring my mother into the clan. That, and when I was little, I had a lot of health problems. Ferncloud thought that I wasn't going to last a moon. But Jayfeather was really stubborn and refused to let me die, even when I had kittencough. Later on, my brothers died while he was at the moonpool, and then him and Dawnfur got really protective over me and my sister. I still think that they see me as a baby, even though I'm a warrior now."

Hollyleaf grunted. "Really? _You're_ a warrior?"

"Shut your mouth!" Starsplash huffed, flicking her tail. "Besides, it's my turn to ask you a question anyway."

Hollyleaf chuckled, but she dipped her head. "Ask away."

"Where have you been living without the clans?"

"There's a small space beyond the moonpool. I made a little den there, underneath a fallen oak tree. It's… comfy, but I missed the forest. I thought I might see how my brothers and mother were doing, and then head back." She whimpered and buried her face in her paws. "I just want to go home."

Starsplash hesitantly placed her tail on the she-cat's back. "Um, there, there?" she said, biting her lip.

Hollyleaf chuckled and wiped at her eyes. "Thanks for trying, kid." She took a deep breath and forced her fur down.

Redfur brushed through the brush, Lionblaze and Jayfeather to her left and Squirrelflight to her right. Squirrelflight bounded up to them, purring. "Oh, thank Starclan! You're alive!" She pulled Hollyleaf to her and began grooming her pelt, to Hollyleaf's complaints.

Lionblaze purred and rubbed his cheek against hers. "When you didn't come back, we thought that a fox might've gotten you."

Jayfeather padded up and whapped her over the head with a soft paw. "You're an idiot," he grumbled affectionately.

Hollyleaf was still for all of two seconds, before melting into her mother's embrace. "I'm sorry I left you behind," she whispered, burying her face in the ginger pelt. "I don't deserve to be called your daughter after what happened."

"Hush," Squirrelflight murmured, licking her daughter's forehead. "In all this time, in everything that's come and gone, and in everything I've done, never have I once stopped loving you. You are my daughter. Nothing will ever change that."

Hollyleaf murmured something into Squirrelflight's pelt, sighing quietly. "I can't come home. We all know that."

Lionblaze shook his head, tail lashing. "We need to tell them the whole story. Why should you be punished for what Ashfur did?"

Jayfeather hissed at his brother. "Do you think they'd believe us? Firestar himself thought that you were a murderer."

Hollyleaf turned to the apprentices. "Listen, you don't have to stay here if you don't want to, so…"

Jayfeather shook his head. "No, let them stay. They're kin."

 _Kin._

 _Wait, what?_

It seemed as though the forest had frozen, all the cats in the vicinity going still. Jayfeather, seemingly realizing what he said, inhaled, heartbeat speeding up.

"What in the name of Starclan?" Hollyleaf screeched, turning on her brother. "Jayfeather, tell me that you mean metaphorically."

He ducked his head. "Well, we're not sure…" he muttered.

The cats around her started yowling and arguing. The blind medicine cat tried to defend himself against the verbal barrage delivered by his sister. Squirrelflight was padding about, worry etched on her face, but she did nothing to stop the quarreling siblings.

"It's bad enough that I'm already exiled, and here you go, having kits?" Hollyleaf growled. Her claws dug into the grass beneath them, but she showed only fear on her face.

"We don't know, okay? The other tom is gray, too, and it was only one time!" he protested, tail lashing.

Lionblaze snarled, prowling around the clearing. "We're not telling anyone, alright?" His siblings quieted down, and he continued. "Look, if you did have kits, it's not like they're stopping you from your work, so the clan doesn't need to know."

"But the code!" Hollyleaf protested.

"Enough! We have no way of knowing for certain, and this could be the answer to the prophecy, so calm down."

"Um, may I say something?" Starsplash asked. The other warriors stopped and looked at her, and she took a deep breath. "What's going on? What's this prophecy, since when was Jayfeather our blood father, and what's wrong with all of you?"

Hollyleaf sighed and curled her tail around herself. "'There will be three, kin of your kin, who will hold the power of the stars in their paws,' that's what the prophecy is. Jayfeather overheard Firestar saying it once, so we know that whoever it concerns has his blood running through them. For the longest time, we thought that it was Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and me. But Yellowfang told me pretty concisely that I wasn't included in their destiny." She ducked her head, gaze falling to the floor of the forest. "We thought for a while that it might have been Whitewing, or her kits, but that miscarriage kinda disproves that theory."

Squirrelflight flicked her tail. "Whoever the prophecy is about, we think that they might have powers, like my sons."

Jayfeather nodded. "I can walk through dreams."

Lionblaze flicked his tail. "And I cannot be killed in battle."

Starsplash bit her lip. _Powers!_ "Well, I can't think of anything spectacular happening to me. What about you, Redfur?"

Redfur averted her gaze, and her ears flattened against her head. After a moment, she answered, "No, I'm ordinary."

Starsplash stared at her sister. She knew the signs of when her sister would start lying, and this was definitely one of those moments. _What are you not telling me?_

Hollyleaf lashed her tail. "So what's the answer, then? If it's not these two, we've broken the code for nothing."

Squirrelflight shook her head and padded forward. In the weak sunlight of leaf-fall, her pelt blazed like fire. "No. There is always an answer, it's just that sometimes we must look farther to find it."

Hollyleaf sat quiet for a moment, then nodded. "I can't stay for much longer." She stood and pressed her forehead to Squirrelflight's gently, trilling. "Goodbye, mother. I promise that we'll see each other soon enough."

She did the same to her brothers, before turning to Redfur and Starsplash. She thought for a second, and then did the same to them. "Thank you," she murmured, humming quietly in Starsplash's ear. "I got the chance to see my family again."

With a final glance behind her, Hollyleaf disappeared into the bushes.

Squirrelflight looked between Jayfeather and the two sisters, before sighing. "You have a lot of explaining to do, Jayfeather. I'll let you handle this on your own." She flicked her tail, and she and Lionblaze padded off.

Jayfeather sighed and turned to the sisters. "I owe you two an explanation, it seems." He curled his tail around them and lay down, eyes turned upwards. "You see, I met your mother while she was staying with Steel near the Horseplace. She was scared and hurt, so I helped her as best as I could, patching up scratches. After some time, I found that my pawsteps were wandering back to where I found her. It was maybe two moons after we first met when she came to me near the Ancient Oak, having washed away the stains of her old life. In a moment of passion, we, well-"

"We get it!" Starsplash interrupted. "Please, I don't want to think about you and mom like that. It's just- wrong."

Jayfeather chuckled. "Alright, alright, no need to know the details. Yes, well, a few days afterwards, I found her wandering the forest. She said that Steel had forced himself on her, and that she couldn't stay with him any longer. I helped her make a temporary nest in the abandoned Twoleg Den, but once she found out that she was having kittens, we made a decision to raise you as clan cats."

Redfur and Starsplash thought for a moment, before Redfur padded up to the medicine cat. He stiffened as she pressed her face to his shoulder. "I don't care whether or not you're our sire. If you'll let me, I want you to be my father."

Starsplash nodded and curled her tail with Redfur's. "You've taken care of us ever since we were little, Jayfeather. I already loved you like a father, but this just confirms it."

The medicine cat choked up on his words and shook his head, growling half-heartedly. "Stop being so sappy! I'm still your medicine cat, you know." He purred and licked his daughters' heads. "Come on, let's get you two home. Your mother will be relieved that we don't have to lie to you anymore."

Starsplash lead the way, bouncing on the edges of her paws. Not even the damp chill of the wind could stop her from-

She stopped short, eyes widening in horror Redfur shrieked. In front of camp lay the bloodied corpse of Whitewing.


	18. Chapter Fifteen: Sickness

Brightheart's cries echoed in Starsplash's mind, the mother's grief ringing sharply in her ears. Barely three sunrises had passed, and it seemed as though a piece of Thunderclan had died with Whitewing. The sweet, optimistic warrior left a gaping hole in her absence, felt most heavily by her parents.

She coughed roughly and shook her head, refusing to dwell on the topic. Her stomach whined, eating away at itself, and her head swam with half-formed thoughts, but she had duties to her clan. _The clan needs food._ She stretched and padded towards the fresh-kill pile, which only had a thin shrew in it. She sighed and picked it up, scarfing the rodent down quickly. With the grumbling in her belly quelled, she set out towards the forest.

A fresh coat of frost covered the fallen leaves, crackling slightly as she disturbed them. She shook her head. _I'm not hunting like I normally do,_ she thought, shivering. She tried to scent the forest around her, but it seemed as though all her senses were dulled, and she hissed in irritation. _Mousedung!_

Suddenly, she caught the scent of a vole. She purred silently and prowled forward, carefully placing her steps so as not to make any noise. She watched as the little creature sleepily stumbled out of its den. She darted forward.

The small creature noticed her a moment too soon, and raced back to its nest. Starsplash snarled and pinned the creature up by its tail, and quickly bit at its back. The vole struggled for a second, before going limp in her jaws. She purred at her catch, flicking her tail with pleasure, before doubling over in pain.

"Ow…" she whimpered, clutching at her stomach. It felt as though her stomach was twisting itself in half. She coughed as spit filled her mouth, frothy and vile. A moment later, she started retching, vomiting up the shrew from earlier.

She gagged at the sour taste in her mouth, and the chunks of half-dissolved meat stuck in between her teeth. She wrinkled her nose at the pool of vomit, and pushed dirt over her mess. Satisfied slightly, though her head was still spinning, she reached a paw into the vole den, pulling out a second rodent that she killed with ease. _Probably nothing left near the surface,_ she thought grumpily, picking up her kills.

She padded off towards camp, the thin little rodents hanging from her teeth. Her head protested at every noise above a low murmur, but she closed her eyes and dropped the food in the prey-pile.

"Hey, you okay?" Jayfeather asked, padding up to her.

Starsplash sighed and leaned into her father. "I feel awful. My stomach keeps twisting up, and my head is spinning."

Jayfeather flicked his tail. "Alright, let's get you examined." He helped her to the medicine den, where inside Leafpool was examining Sandstorm.

"Do you think it could be greencough?" Sandstorm asked as her daughter listened to her lungs.

Leafpool shook her head. "More like Whitecough. I'll give you some Catmint just in case, though." Leafpool reached behind her and pulled out a sprig of the minty plant, the fragrant scent getting through her. Starsplash's mouth watered at the scent, and she took a step forward, only for Jayfeather to pull her back.

"Wait your turn," he said, grabbing a second sprig from the plentiful stash. "The supplies may seem big now, but Kestrelflight told me that his usual source was destroyed by rogues, so we might need to share this if Windclan gets it."

Starsplash nodded, standing aside as Sandstorm chewed on the herbs with a sigh. The senior warrior stood up and shook out her pelt. "Thanks, Leafpool. I'd better head out hunting." She padded out, humming quietly under her breath.

Leafpool turned to Starsplash, smiling softly. "Alright, let's take a look at you."

She sat down in an adjacent nest. The two hummed and hawed, poking at her fur and skin. "Have you vomited in the last twenty four hours?" Jayfeather asked.

She nodded. "I was hunting, but I started retching. Felt better afterwards, though."

Leafpool and Jayfeather stepped back to talk for a second, before Jayfeather turned to Starsplash. "Tell us everything you can about what's been going on with you."

Starsplash closed her eyes for a second, trying to recall as much as she could. "Well, I guess it started last night. I started coughing, but I didn't think much of it. This morning, I woke up to a pretty bad headache, and my throat was itchy and sore, so I went to go get some water. After I got something to drink, my stomach started hurting. I tried lying down for a while, but it simply provided temporary relief. Then, I went hunting, but after my first catch, I threw up in pain, then came back here."

Leafpool hummed and went to the back of the den, searching through her stores. AFter a moment, she emerged with a small bundle of herbs. "Tell me what these herbs are and what they're for."

Starsplash squinted at them. There were a few knobby brown roots, a bundle of almond-shaped leaves, a pulp of chewed leaves, and an orange flower. She leaned forward and sniffed them. "Um, the roots. Those are chervil, right? They're for bellyache. And I know the flower is Hawkweed, because you said that it was good for minor coughs. The pulp is… coltsfoot, I think. It's for easing breathing. And… the leaves are raspberry."

Jayfeather shook his head. "Three out of four. The leaves are chickweed, used to help prevent cough." He pushed the herbs forward. "Here, eat up."

She nodded and swallowed the herbs, grimacing at the taste. She went to sit up, but Leafpool pushed her back down. "Oh, no you don't," she ordered, glaring down at her. "I'm keeping an eye on you, missy."

Jayfeather grunted. "It's probably nothing. She wasn't even at the gathering."

Leafpool glared. "I don't want to take any chances. Mothwing told me that she's had at least one case of Greencough that defies what we know about disease. It takes a while to start, but when it does, it kills quicker than a clawmark."

Starsplash scoffed. "That's just an old queen's tale. Besides, we have plenty of herbs. What could possibly-"

Leafpool hissed and placed her tail over the warrior's muzzle. "Not another word. You finish that sentence, something is sure to go wrong. It's almost like a curse."

Starsplash rolled her eyes and lay back down in her nest. "Alright, alright. I'll do as told."

Jayfeather huffed. "I'm going to go check on the stash near the old Twoleg den. Do you want to come with me?"

Leafpool shook her head. "I have to watch over the clan. Take a few warriors with you instead, alright?"

Jayfeather grumbled. "I'm not a helpless kit, aunt."

"Neither was Whitewing."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Leafpool cringed, biting her tongue. Jayfeather seemed shook, but he sighed and dipped his head. "Fine. I suppose a bit of a guard won't hurt." He padded out, and Starsplash could hear him calling to Blossomwind, Thornclaw, and Spiderleg.

Leafpool turned back to her. "Now, I want you to stay here. I need to go talk to Firestar about the distribution of spare herbs."

Starsplash nodded and watched as Leafpool left, before settling back into her nest. Outside, she could hear Firestar announcing a meeting, and the murmur of the clan gathering around him. She had been so cold that day, and the nest was so warm…

Right as she was drifting off, she woke to the sound of claws scraping against the wall. She sat up in her nest, blinking her eyes at the sight. In front of her were Hawk and Chillfang, furiously scraping at the herbs. Steel stood off to the side, watching her silently. She shook her head in confusion and stood up. "Wha-"

Quick as a flash, Chillfang's teeth were at her neck. "Scream and I kill you. Do you understand? Nod yes or no."

Starsplash nodded weakly, fear flooding her belly. _What's going on? I thought we were friends!_ She whimpered. "Stop, please. We need the herbs- greencough-"

Chillfang's jaws cut off her air supply, and she weakly gasped for breath. "Can't… breathe!" she whispered quietly, flailing her paws.

Steel grunted quietly. "That's enough, Chillfang. Don't kill my daughter."

The rogue queen nodded and released Starsplash, who fell to the ground in an _oomph_. She lay still, blurrily watching the two rogues grabbing at the herbs. "Why are you doing this?" she whimpered. "I thought we were friends…"

Chillfang stared at her in disbelief. "Friends? I do what I must to remain in power. You are not and never were a part of that."

 _No…_ Starsplash leaned herself against the wall, silently willing Leafpool to come back, or Jayfeather, or _anyone_ to come and stop them. _I can't stop them by myself._

"Where's the catmint?" Steel hissed, lashing his tail.

"Here!" Chillfang whispered, grabbing at the large bundle of the fragrant herb.

Starsplash stood up dizzily, dragging herself forward. "You can't take that!" she hissed. "I won't let you take it!"

Chillfang shrugged. "Suit yourself." She pounced and pinned Starsplash down, jaw forced open. She grabbed three red berries and rolled them over.

 _Yew!_ Starsplash forced her jaw shut, but Chillfang simply laughed. "Very well. If you don't want to die, then you will do as you're told from now on."

Starsplash turned to Chillfang and hissed. "You won't get away with this."

Hawk chuckled darkly. "It's just like you to be a Thunderclan cat. Always moralizing and putting emotions over the cold, simple truth. That is why you will die."

Chillfang grabbed the bundle of herbs that they hadn't destroyed yet. "I'll take these back home, love." She flicked her tail and left the den through a small broken section of wall.

Hawk purred quietly. "Now, I'd love to stay and chat, but seeing as how you're a liability, I must send you to Starclan. Say your goodbyes."

Steel hissed. "No! We can take her with us. It won't be that much trouble."

Hawk glared at him. "Why are you so obsessed with your kits? Kelsie's having your kits soon, right?"

The gray rogue glared right back at Hawk, who sighed and conceded. "Fine. But if she causes any trouble, _you_ will be the one to kill her."

Steel nodded, grabbing Starsplash by her scruff and pulling her up. She hissed, but the two toms forced her out of the den. She threw one last glance back at her camp, at her clan, gathered around Highrock. _Please, look behind you! We can't let them do this!_

 _Please!_

* * *

 **And he held out... SOME JEW!**

 **Whoo, this was a fun one to write. And don't worry- we'll get to the gory bits real soon, I promise.**

 **Sorry about the cliffhanger (kinda) from last chapter. (No I'm not)**

 **And as for those of you who wanted Steel to be more than a one-note character- That's coming up next chapter. Have fun with that!**


	19. Chapter Sixteen: Enemy Camp

**TW for domestic abuse (verbal and implied physical).**

Starsplash coughed roughly, her throat seizing up. She shook as the air was forced out of her.

Hawk hissed. "Get a move on, prisoner."

Steel glared at him. "She's sick. Give her a break." He pressed himself up on her side, and much as Starsplash hated the tom, she accepted the support he gave her.

Chillfang flicked her tail dismissevely. "She's not coming near the kits. I won't have them getting sick because of her."

As they approached the barn, Starsplash's legs started to give out. She stumbled, her paws blurring together, and Hawk huffed. "It's a lost case, Steel. We should just kill her now."

Her sire shook his head. "Look, it's only a little further. She can make it."

Hawk shook his head, but said nothing as Steel pulled her up and moved her forward. Inside the barn, it was warmer, and there were a few soft boulders thrown in the corner. She stumbled forward a few steps, before falling into a soft mound of hay.

Chillfang sighed airily. "I hope you like it there, because you're not coming anywhere near me while you're sick." She padded off, presumably to hunt a few mice for herself.

"Steel! You're back!" called a light voice. A pretty tortoiseshell queen padded over, her belly swollen with unborn kits. She purred and groomed his face, tail flicking. "Oh, I was so worried when sunset came and you weren't back. How was the raid?"

Steel grimaced. "Well… do you remember what I told you about Dawn?"

Kelsie stopped, stepping back. "You didn't." At that point, Starsplash began coughing again, her throat agitated by the stray specks in the air. Kelsie's eyes widened. "You did."

Steel flicked his tail. "We didn't have a choice. She saw us stealing the hers. It was take her or kill her."

Kelsie pouted, but she turned to Starsplash. "She's sick. If she comes in contact with Snakepaw, Lilypaw, or me, then-"

Steel flicked his tail, and Kelsie shut her muzzle. He turned to Starsplash, and gruffly asked, "You know herbs and all that?"

Starsplash nodded weakly, forcing herself to sit up. "I know how to splint a broken bone, how to help a drowning cat, and how to help a queen give birth."

Kelsie seemed to relax a little at the last one. "Well, if she can help while giving birth, I suppose she can stay."

Steel gave her a wary look. "I'll get you something to eat." He padded off, tail flicking.

Kelsie poked her in the ribs with her paw, causing another coughing fit. She curled up within herself, spasms wracking her body. Kelsie's face lit up with fear. "Oh dear, oh dear, what do I do?" She shook Starsplash, triggering another painful round of coughing and wheezing, her throat seizing up. She stepped back and watched, wary, as Starsplash struggled for breath.

After a few minutes, Starsplash had calmed down enough to regain her breathing, and she lay on her side, making no moves. Steel padded over, a plump mouse in his jaws. "Eat," he ordered, dropping the fresh-kill at her feet. Starsplash took one look at the prey and grimaced.

"I'll just throw it up again," she said, flicking her tail. She sat up hesitantly, only to fall on her side again as black specks filled her vision. She grit her teeth and forced herself to take deep breaths, willing down the nausea in her belly. "What I need right now is water and bedrest, and to let the herbs Leafpool gave me before do their work."

Steel grunted and picked the mouse back up again. "Fine. In the morning, you're going to eat." He linked his tail with Kelsie's. "How're you feeling?" he murmured.

She sighed. "Full. They'll come any day now, I think." She turned to Starsplash. "Is this a safe place to give birth?"

The warrior nodded. "Warm, protected, and close to a water source. That's the best you can hope for." She faked a yawn, trying to get them to leave her be.

Suddenly, she heard Chillfang yowl a warning, and the pattering of little paws. She opened her eyes, and came face to face with a pretty calico she-kit.

"Starsplash!" yowled Lilypaw, covering her face in friendly licks. She purred and flicked her tail. "I didn't know you came to visit! This is so cool!"

Snakepaw chirped a welcome, paws twitching excitedly. "I didn't know you were a friend of mom's.

Chillfang padded up, face calm and composed. In her eyes, however, Starsplash saw the flames of fury. "So you know her?" she purred, voice chipper.

Lilypaw nodded, tail flicking. "Yep! We met her in limbo."

"Interesting," Chillfang purred, pulling the kits away from Starsplash. "Why don't you two go train with Steel, while I have a little chat with our guest?"

"But-" Lilypaw protested.

"Don't make me say it again," Chillfang snarled, a flash of rage in her voice. Lilypaw whimpered and tucked her tail underneath herself. Snakepaw stood up beside her, purposely avoiding eye contact with his mother. Chillfang sighed. "Why do you have to be disobedient in front of our guest?" She turned to Starsplash and chirped. "Ignore my children. They just don't know when to be quiet."

Starsplash hissed, placing her tail in between the queen and the kits. She stood up woozily, supporting herself against the wall, until she was in between the two. She stared Chillfang down, and even in her sickly state she knew that she wouldn't let Chillfang get to them. Chillfang seemed unnerved by her actions, and the queen took a step back. Starsplash followed her, stepping forward, until she had Chillfang nearly up against the wall.

"Listen to me," Starsplash snarled, stopping to cough. Chillfang tried to move away, but Starsplash blocked her path. Once she had regained her steady breathing, the warrior continued. "If I ever see you treat your children like that again, I will take them from you."

"No!" shrieked Lilypaw, putting herself between Chillfang and Starsplash. "Please, mom's a good cat, really! She's just stressed out, that's all. I mean, at least she doesn't beat us like some other cats. Right, Snakepaw?"

Her brother mumbled something under his breath, but he padded over to Chillfang, standing beside Lilypaw. He turned to Starsplash, his gaze fearful. _He's scared that she'll hurt him if he says no._

Starsplash hissed at Chillfang, but she stood down. She settled back down in her nest, joints aching. She sighed and curled into herself, shivering. The kits scurried off, tails flicking. Chillfang shot her a dirty look, before huffing and padding off to Hawk.

 _I should leave now. If I rush, I can make it to…_

 _To…_

She fell into a fevered sleep.


	20. Chapter Seventeen: Deadly Dreams

**Hey guys! Sorry that this chapter is so short, but I need to take some personal time off. I put this up to sate you guys, but this story has started wearing on my resolve. I'd really appreciate some nice reviews, but don't feel obligated to. Love ya guys! :)**

 _Starsplash woke on the edge of Starclan. She looked around, eyes no longer blurry from sickness. The areas reminded her of the forest in the flush of new-leaf, warm but not overwhelming. A pleasant scent wafted from the misty area, and despite the shadow, she wasn't afraid. It felt as though the hunting grounds were calling to her._

" _Stop!" cried a voice. Starsplash turned, coming face to face with Jayfeather. He towered over her, and though she felt so small, Starsplash purred and padded forward, rubbing her cheek against his. He glared and stepped back, and Starsplash frowned._

" _What's wrong, father? Do you not want to see me?" she asked._

 _He shook his head. "That's not it. What happened to you? What happened to the herbs? Are you still alive?"_

 _Starsplash sat, tail flicking. "Well, after Leafpool left the den, I tried to fall asleep, but then the rogues showed up and started destroying or taking the herbs. I tried to fight back, I really did! But there were three of them, and one of me, and they took me. I'm still alive, I think." She ducked her head. "You're not mad at me, right?"_

 _Jayfeather's shoulders relaxed, and he placed his head upon her. "No, of course not. But where are you? I need to tell Firestar, so we can rescue you."_

" _I'm at the Horseplace, in the barn." She bit her lip. "Please, be careful. These rogues are dangerous, and I think that there's more of them than I've seen." She turned back towards Starclan, and a pretty tortoiseshell stepped out, eyes sparkling with starlight._

 _Jayfeather hissed at her. "You won't have her, Spottedleaf. It's not her time."_

 _The tortoiseshell sighed. "You act as though I relish each death. Starclan has no power over the living and the dead, we only act as a home." She turned to Starsplash and hummed thoughtfully. "You know that you are not his blood."_

 _Starsplash glared at Spottedleaf. "Are you here to mock me?"_

 _The starclan cat shook her head. "I only want to see the best for my clan. I am glad that Jayfeather found happiness outside of his duties, and so long as he is a good parent, I have no qualms about who sired you."_

 _Jayfeather grunted. "Fine. Why are you here, Spottedleaf?"_

 _She pressed her nose to his, and Jayfeather shivered. An unspoken agreement seemed to pass between the two cats. Spottedleaf stepped back and purred. "Do you understand, Jayfeather?"_

 _He nodded slowly, and Spottedleaf smiled. "Remember that Starclan will always walk beside you." She turned to Starsplash and padded up to her, licking her forehead gently. "Do not be afraid of your destiny, little one. One must only know when it is coming and have the will to change it."_

 _She shivered as a rush of cold energy flowed through her, easing her and putting her at ease. She licked the she-cat's shoulder in respect, and the tortoiseshell purred. "I will walk beside you and guide you, little one."_

 _The she-cat turned to Jayfeather. Her pelt shimmered bright, and Starsplash had to avert her eyes. She heard Spottedleaf speak, her voice a whisper supported by the murmurs of hundreds of spirits. "_ _As light falls to darkness, one will become two. Only through betrayal of blood and the pain of fire will the clans survive." There was a flash, and the Starclan cat disappeared._

 _Starsplash flicked her ears to Jayfeather, confusion on her face. "What does that mean?"_

 _Jayfeather hissed. "How should I know? It's not as if Starclan could ever give clear answers. That would destroy their 'air of mystery'."_

 _Starsplash rubbed her cheek against Jayfeather's in sympathy. "Don't worry, father. Everything's okay."_

 _He sighed. "I hope you're right, daffodil." He started to fade, yawning. "Stay safe! Don't do anything to aggravate them! I love you!" he called as he faded to the world of the living._

 _She watched him leave, heart heavy with regret. "I love you too," she murmured, but the breeze carried her voice away._


	21. Chapter Eighteen: Prepare For The Worst

Starsplash was vaguely aware of waking, but she made no move to get up. Her head swam at every noise and twitch, and even in the warmth of the barn she shivered.

"Is she dead?" came a she-cat's voice, light and soft.

"No, see? She's breathing, so she's not dead." A tom this time, gruff and short.

She whimpered and threw a paw over her eyes. "Aw, she's not dead!" came the first voice again.

She growled and opened an eye. In front of her was a snowy white she-cat, bright blue eyes like a winter morning. Behind her was a brown and white tom, thin and shifty. A third voice purred behind her. "Ah, and here she wakes. Wake up, princess."

She moaned in pain, the she-cat's voice directly in her ear. "Water," she croaked. Her mouth tasted like death had crawled inside and had kittens.

A moment later, a small calico face appeared before her, a bundle of soaked moss in her jaws. "Steel said that you might need this," Lilypaw mumbled, her voice muffled by the moss.

Starsplash nodded and took small sips, pacing her drinking. She purred and sat up a little. "Well, the headache isn't gone, but I do feel better. Thanks."

Lilypaw beamed. "Great! What else do you need?"

 _I need to get out of here,_ Starsplash thought, but she shook her head. "Am I hot to the touch, and do I smell sour?"

Lilypaw nodded, and Starsplash sighed. "Alright. I need tansy and chickweed. I don't think we have to use catmint yet, so lucky me, I suppose."

"What do those look like?"

 _Right, she's not trained in herbs._ "Let's see… tansy has round yellow leaves, and its scent is sweet and fragrant. Chickweed is a tall-stemmed plant with fat, almond-shaped leaves."

Lilypaw nodded and scurried off to wherever in the barn these rogues were keeping their stolen herbs. Starsplash stifled a hiss and stood, supporting herself on a bale of hay.

The burly tom chuckled, tail flicking. "So you're the stolen apprentice," he mused. "Good. We need a medicine cat."

Starsplash snarled. "I'm a proud warrior of Thunderclan, buzzardface."

The snowy she-cat scoffed. "Well, you're not a very smart one. His name is Eaglefang, not Buzzardface. I'm Icewing, by the way, and the ginger behind you is Jinx." She huffed and flicked her tail. "Honestly, what made you think his name was Buzzardface?"

"It's an insult, you stupid- forget it." She took a step forward past the rogues, swallowing the impulse to vomit. She took deep breaths until she felt better and took a step again, and again, until she could get a few tail-lengths without passing out. She smiled and sat back down, satisfied with her progress.

"Here you are!" Lilypaw chirped, herbs in her mouth. She dropped them in front of Starsplash. Starsplash stared blankly at her.

"These are goldenrod and coltsfoot," she stated.

Lilypaw ducked her head, ears flattened against her head. "Sorry," she murmured, avoiding eye contact.

Starsplash sighed and licked the kit's forehead in reassurance. "Hey, it's alright. The only reason I know so much about herbs is because I was always with Jayfeather in the medicine den." She flicked her tail and picked up the herbs, quickly swallowing down the coltsfoot with a short grimace. "I suppose that Coltsfoot is good for easing breathing, anyway. Come on, let's put the goldenrod back in its place."

Lilypaw ducked her tail underneath her. "About that…"

Their herb storage was an absolute nightmare, located in the loft of the barn. The herbs were either trampled on the floor, torn and muddy, mixed with hay, or shoved on top of the hay bales, where they were exposed to rot and mold. Starsplash hissed at the sight, of all the precious herbs just thrown about like loose fur. "Do they have any idea how long it took to collect, to store, to study and treat and prepare all the herbs? It takes moons to restore a good herb supply! And you're just going to treat it like carrion?" She hissed her little rant at the nearest rogue, who just so happened to be Chillfang, checking on their darling prisoner.

The rogue shrugged. "It's not like we need it," she muttered. "We're not going to get sick."

"Oh yeah?" Starsplash challenged, tail lashing. "And what if one of your cats gets injured? Or poisoned? Are you going to throw out valuable cats just because they aren't in the best shape?"

Chillfang glared at her. "Oh, please. We have tons of it. It's not like we're short."

"I hate you. I really, really hate you," Starsplash hissed under her breath. She flicked her tail to Lilypaw. "Fetch your brother. We're going to make a sensible store of this."

One tiny apprentice later, Starsplash and her assistants went to work. She had the two siblings sort the herbs by flower, leaf, and root, and then into what was broken and what was still usable. Once that was done, she carefully went through each pile and salvaged what she could.

Snakepaw watched her, eyes wide. "That looks so hard. How do you know what's still safe to use?"

Starsplash purred. "Well, if the leaf is simply torn or crushed in one part, I can tear off the broken part and save the rest. If there's infection or rot already set in, however, then it's safer to throw it out, in case the rest of the plant grows the rot."

Lilypaw snorted. "This stuff is too complicated."

"Oh, hush." Snakepaw placed his tail on his sister's back. "Just because you don't want to be sorting herbs for the rest of your life doesn't make it any less cool."

"Get back to work, you two!" Starsplash hissed playfully, tail lashing. The apprentices squeaked and skittered off.

"Now, we need to find a safe, dry place to put all of these." Starsplash and the apprentices started to search, before Snakepaw yelped.

"Hey, look! I think it's a twoleg shell." He pulled a shell made of wood out, intersecting sticks forming a thick weave tight enough to hold the herbs.

Starsplash purred. "This'll do well. See if you can find any others." A few minutes later, they had found five or six. "Alright, now put the first pile in the red shell."

Finally, all the salvageable herbs were placed in the shells, and they were safe in the corner of the loft. Starsplash sighed and flicked her tail in satisfaction. "Alright, now to dispose of these destroyed herbs outside. Come on, you two can help me." They made their way down to the lower level, herbs carried in mouths and under chins.

Hawk and Icewing were at the entrance, alongside a rather small white tom with a bobbed tail. The small tom averted his gaze, staring pointedly at the wall. Hawk huffed and blocked Starsplash's exit, gaze hard and cold on her. "Where are you going with my children?" he asked.

Starsplash stared him down, dropping her herbs on the dusty floor. "We're throwing out the rotting herbs. Which, by the way, we wouldn't need to do if you had stored the herbs properly."

Hawk hissed and cuffed her ears, drawing blood. Starsplash winced in pain and brought a paw to her ear, stomach dropping at the sight of blood. "Don't talk back to me, kit," he snarled. "I taught you one way to stalk your prey. Do you want me to teach you what it's like to _be_ the prey?"

The white tom grimaced. "Come on, Hawkfrost, lay off of her. She's just scared." _Hawkfrost?_

The tabby snarled, and the white tom shrank back, bringing a paw up to protect his face. "Are you seriously going to sympathize with this clan cat? Aren't they the ones who let you suffer in that foxtrap for days, before we came along? The ones who tried to kill your mate? And now you're going to just let her out of the barn, with no promise that she'll come back, and with my children no less?"

"I didn't say that!" the tom protested.

"Really? Because it sure sounds like that."

"She's not the one who did that! It's not her fault-"

Hawkfrost stood, and the tom shrunk back, cowering in fear. Icewing watched with gleeful eyes, flicking her tail. "Ooh, you're gonna get it!"

Hawkfrost glared at her, and she quickly shut her mouth. He turned back to the tom, gaze softening slightly. "I know you mean well, Torntail, but I am your leader, and you must learn to obey me without question." He gently nudged Torntail into standing, before he turned back to Starsplash. "If you can tell me, without a shred of lie in you, that you will return after disposing of the herbs, then I will let you leave with my children."

"I will return after disposing of the herbs," she lied.

Hawkfrost clearly didn't believe her, but he sighed and moved. "Icewing, fetch Owlfang and Darkstorm, and take them on a patrol near the pasture. Riverclan are getting antsy, and I don't want them discovering anything." He smiled, a wicked glint in his eyes. "If you find any clan cats snooping around there, well. Darkstorm still hasn't passed his final assessment."

 _Final assessment?_

Hawkfrost stood, muscles rippling underneath a dark pelt. "I will watch where you are disposing of the herbs. Don't try anything, or I will break your legs."

Starsplash nodded, though she couldn't stop shivering. Outside, the cold winds were picking up, undeterred by trees like in the forest. Snakepaw padded up beside her, the torn roots in his jaws starting to spill out, making it look like he was a chipmunk. "Where?" he asked, voice muffled.

Starsplash chuckled. "Let's put them over there," she said, flicking her tail towards a pile of horse dung.

Lilypaw wrinkled her nose at the scent. "Yuck! Why do we have to bury them here?"

"Do as you're told," grunted Hawkfrost. He watched as Starsplash and the apprentices placed the herbs i the pile, though Starsplash noticed his lip curling at the scent, and pushed down the urge to laugh at him. "Come on, enough of this. Back to the barn, you two."

Snakepaw let out a little yelp as a single snowflake fell and landed on his nose. "The sky is falling!" he shrieked, running in circles. Specks of snow drifted down, the clouds above them dark as ash.

Hawkfrost chuckled and lay his tail on Snakepaw's back. "It's just snow, my child. Nothing more."

Snakepaw watched, transfixed, as the specks grew thicker and heavier. He gingerly reached a paw out and batted at a thick clump of snow. "It's so cold," he murmured.

Lilypaw shrieked with joy and started hopping about, batting the little flakes out of the sky. Her eyes were wide with excitement, fur fluffed out. Her brother joined her, trying to catch every piece of snow before it touched the ground.

Starsplash smiled at the kitten like antics, but a piece of her grew worried. There was sickness already in her clan, and the cold would only make immune symptoms weaker. Chills and fevers were bound to run rampant, and prey would die, or burrow deeper in their dens. The odds that her clan would make it out of this leaf-bare unscathed were nonexistent.

She looked over to Hawkfrost, who merely watched his children with a detached amusement. Had he once been a small kit, batting snowflakes out of the sky with his littermates? Or had he been born with a piece of ice in his heart? Could he find happiness in such silly activities now, when it didn't benefit him?

Starsplash coughed roughly, her chest seizing up in the harsh air, but she forced herself to take deep breaths, easing her lungs. She shook out her short fur, trying to warm herself in the quickly-chilling air. "Let's head inside, alright? This storm is no time to be out."

Hawkfrost grunted, plucking up his daughter and carrying her towards the same secret entrance Starsplash had used when she had rescued Bramblekit and Featherkit. Snakepaw followed shortly, grumbling under his breath, "Why does she get picked up?"

Starsplash giggled. "Aren't you supposed to be the mature, tough sibling?"

"Yeah, well, be quiet!" Snakepaw flushed and scampered forward, scurrying into the barn. Hawkfrost pushed her in after him, then placed his daughter down. "I'm going hunting," he muttered, before padding off in the thick snow.

"What could he possibly hunt in this weather?" Starsplash wondered aloud, tail flicking. She watched as his children shook off, before running about and chasing each other's tails. She purred and climbed up into the loft, grabbing a sprig of chickweed and chewing it down quickly. "Maybe he'll fetch some mouse bile!" she chuckled to herself.

Suddenly, she heard a yowl of pain. "Starsplash!" called Snakepaw, voice thin with fear. "Kelsie's kits are coming!"


	22. Chapter Nineteen: New Life

**Hey y'all! I missed you guys while I was writing. I still haven't decided if I'm going to kill off Starsplash, and if I do, whether or not to do the reincarnation plotline. I'm definitely keeping Hollyleaf having kits, Tigerpaw/kit and Fluffy/kit (renamed Finchkit), and Ashfur being reincarnated. Reviews would be really appreciated!**

Starsplash's heart sped up, and she quickly grabbed borage, raspberry leaves, fennel, and a medium-sized stick. She rushed down as fast as she could, herbs wrapped in a large beech leaf. Kelsie lay on her side, panting heavily, as Icewing stood a few tail-lengths back. The rogue snarled at her, but Starsplash pushed past her and went to Kelsie.

"Where's Steel?" she asked Snakepaw, the small apprentice stuck in his spot.

"He said that he'd fetch her some water."

Starsplash shook her head in irritation. "Bite," she ordered, pressing the stick to Kelsie's mouth. The queen nodded and grabbed hold of the stick in her mouth, teeth carving short marks.

Kelsie shrieked in pain as the first kit slid out, a small brown bundle of fur. Starsplash bent down, quickly bit the amniotic sac, and began licking the kit fiercely, pulling its fur the wrong way. For a few tense moments, the kit didn't respond, and she feared the worst. Then, a small shiver went through the little body, and it opened its mouth in a silent mewl. She placed the kit at Kelsie's belly.

Kelsie panted, her eyes glazed over in pain. "Come on, queens have been doing this for forever. You can do this, come on!" Starsplash nudged her gently, and the queen nodded, teeth clamping down on the stick as a second kit slid out.

More cats had congregated around the queen at this point, and Starsplash had to brush them away. She bent down and licked at the tiny kit, brown and white fur slick with fluid. It shivered and gasped silently for air. Starsplash purred and gave the kit to Icewing. "Lick it."

Icewing sneered at the kit. "I'm not a medicine cat. Why should I care about this scrap of fur?"

Starsplash snarled. "You'll do it because I told you! Now lick!" Icewing glowered, but bent her head down and licked at the kit's fur.

Starsplash turned back to Kelsie, doing inventory out loud in an effort to calm herself. The queen had begun to pant heavily, but her belly had gone down, and her hips began to slow. "Some blood loss, but that's normal when giving birth. Two healthy kits, and just one more left. You're doing great," she murmured.

Kelsie nodded weakly, letting out a groan as the third and last kit slid out. This one, a beautiful tabby like her father, came out easily, and it began to cry the moment it was allowed to air. Starsplash purred and pulled the second kit away from Icewing, placing the two to Kelsie's belly, where they began to suckle.

Kelsie purred quietly. "I did it," she murmured groggily.

"Yeah," Starsplash purred, looking at her half-siblings. "You did it."

Starsplash heard a yowl of excitement and scrambled out of the way as Steel barreled through. "Kelsie!" he cried, licking her forehead gently. "The kits-"

She purred and rubbed her cheek to her mate's. "Three."

Steel's gaze flooded with affection. "They're beautiful," he murmured. He leaned down and whispered to the kits. "Don't worry. I won't ever leave your side, little ones."

Chillfang padded up to the couple. Any appearances of once being a queen had vanished from her, her fur sleek and smooth against a slim body. She purred, "Good. New Warriors for the Resistance." Steel glared at the she-cat for a second, but Chillfang's icy glare cut off whatever he would have said. Instead, he curled himself around his mate, gazing down softly at the kits.

"Have you thought of names for them?" asked Starsplash.

Kelsie nodded slowly, purring affectionately to Starsplash. "The little brown tabby. I'll name him Siegfried, after my father. And the brown and white, I'll name Blitz. My mother told me that it means Lightning." She turned to Steel. "You should name the last one."

He purred and licked the silver tabby's forehead. The kit squealed and curled into her mother's belly, and Steel chuckled. "Can we name her Sapphire?"

Kelsie purred. "Perfect." She yawned and curled up around her kits. "I'm kind of thirsty," she murmured, voice thin with exhaustion.

"Oh, right!" Steel ran off and returned a moment later, a bundle of soaked moss in his jaws. He placed it in front of Kelsie, who lapped thirstily at it.

Starsplash suddenly felt as though she were intruding on something very sacred and private, and she faked a yawn. "I'll head to bed if that's alright," she said.

Chillfang stared her down. "I'll have Jinx and Darkstorm guard you. We don't want any slip-ups now, do we?"

Starsplash resisted the urge to claw the she-cat's face off, instead ducking her head and heading to a small patch of hay and falling down in it. _I'll never escape now._

 _Well, do you really?_

She stopped and flicked her tail at that thought. Of course she wanted to leave. She wanted nothing more than to escape and return to her clan, to her family, to the forest. Even so, she couldn't help but admit that this wasn't exactly the worst situation to be in. She had herbs here, and the apprentices made for good company, and now she had half-siblings. They wouldn't one-up her at everything, or act like she needed to be rescued, or constantly get everything before her.

She snarled and ripped at the hay beneath her claws. They wouldn't ever be jealous of her, or act like her achievements were somehow a personal attack. They'd know what real sibling loyalty was! They'd-

She stopped, horrified. The ground beneath her was clawed deep and rough, and she had splinters underneath her claws. _What am I doing?_ She bit her lip and refused the urge to start crying. She swore that she'd always be loyal to Redfur. _I can't let myself become corrupted by hatred. She's my sister, and I love her._

A black tom nudged her gently, shocking her out of her thoughts. "You okay?" he asked.

Starsplash nodded, whipping the destroyed moss behind her. "Sorry, that was nothing."

The tom stared skeptically at her. "That's not exactly what I'd call nothing. Do you do this often?"

Starsplash shook her head. "No, I swear." The tom stared at her. "I'm serious!"

He sighed. "I just don't want you getting hurt, that's all. My name's Darkstorm, by the way. I've been ordered to guard you."

She nodded. "Chillfang told me." She sized up the tom. He was strong but bore many scars, and his ear had a deep V-shaped nick in it.

A bright ginger she-cat padded up and glared at Starsplash. "Aw, man. I was hoping you were dead. Then it would just be me and Darkstorm."

The tom grimaced. "And this is Jinx."

Jinx pouted and rubbed her cheek up against Darkstorm, who recoiled gently. "Don't be like that, sweetie. We both know that you want me."

"No, I really don't," Darkstorm stated, chest puffed out and gaze set on a random patch of wall. He tucked his tail beneath his paws, and grit his teeth as Jinx wound herself around him.

"Is this still about Torntail and Vineclaw? You know, they don't really love you. They're just using you! You deserve better than that slut and her boy toy." Darkstorm snarled at the she-cat, who chuckled and stepped back. "I'm just trying to help you, dearie. Sooner or later, you'll come running to me, crying that they dumped you, and I won't say I told you so!"

Darkstorm shuffled his paws. "That's not true. Torntail loves me, and the kits call me Papa, and even if Vineclaw and I don't love each other like mates, I know that she cares for me. They're perfect."

Jinx opened her mouth, but Starsplash reared up and screeched, "Snake!"

The two yowled in fear and sprang up. Starsplash looked innocently to Jinx. "Oops, sorry. It was just your tail." The she-cat's gaze burned into her, but Darkstorm nodded thankfully to Starsplash.

Starsplash yawned, for real this time, and settled into her nest. Within a few moments, she was passed out cold.


	23. Chapter Twenty: Coming Home

"Psst! Hey, wake up!"

Starsplash jolted awake, fur stuck up on end. In front of her was Lilypaw's small face, fearful and soft. "Shh!" the kit hissed. "We have to be quiet."

"What's going on?" she asked quietly. Darkstorm and Jinx were nowhere to be seen, and the barn was unusually quiet.

It had been a half moon since Kelsie had given birth, and the queen had been keeping her busy as a bee with checking on the kits. She barely had a moment's rest, and certainly no chance to escape. When Kelsie wasn't keeping her busy, the rogues were coming back with injuries and ailments.

She had tried once to refuse to treat Eaglefang, out of a sense of betrayal in aiding the rogues. Hawkfrost had simply seen this and returned a few hours later with the limp body of Hazeltail in his jaws. He snarled and shoved the dead she-cat in her face, swatting her when she started screaming. The once vibrant she-cat was limp, her fur matted with blood. Her throat had been bitten quickly, so at least she hadn't suffered a prolonged death, but this did little to quell Starsplash's horror.

"This is what happens when you don't cooperate," Hawkfrost had snarled, dragging the body away from her. She had yowled and tried to attack him, but the rogues held her down, and Chillfang had scratched a thin scar into her side that still ached after it had scabbed up.

Starsplash winced as she stood, biting her lip. She looked around. No cats were nearby except for her and Lilypaw.

Lilypaw shook her head and motioned for Starsplash to follow her. They slipped through an area where the wall of the barn was broken. Starsplash hissed quietly as a few splinters caught on her pelt, but Lilypaw flicked her tail in the warrior's face to hush her.

Outside, the snowflakes were falling heavy and thick, blanketing the area around them. Snakepaw waited outside, and in his jaws was a bundle of catmint. At the sight of his sister, he purred and fluffed out his fur. "We ready?"

Lilypaw nodded, then turned to Starsplash. "Take us to Thunderclan."

Starsplash had to take a moment to process that. "What?"

Snakepaw flicked his tail. "Your clan needs help. We can't just stand aside and let them die!"

Starsplash felt her blood run cold. "Who's dead?"

"Um, there's a lot." Snakepaw thought for a second, looking up. "A pale ginger tabby she-cat, a white she-cat, a brown tabby tom, a golden tom-"

Starsplash cut him off, feeling sick. "Enough. We're heading there, now."

The apprentices followed her as she quickly brushed through the forming snowbanks, shivering as it fell harder and harder on her short pelt. She nudged a path that they could follow, but she knew that even they would only last a short while.

They skirted along the eastern edge of the lake, along the very edge of Windclan territory, until Starsplash saw an old tree standing in the distance. "There!" she yowled above the storm's roar. She bounded over to it and started digging, pushing the snow off to the side until she found a small hollow underneath the roots. There was a stale scent of a fox, but it was long gone by now.

It was tight, but it was dry and shielded them from most of the wind. Lilypaw scurried down into the tiny den, shivering. Snakepaw followed shortly after her, whimpering as his pelt dripped with ice. Starsplash took the bundle of catmint and pressed it off to the side, shielding it from the ice.

Starsplash hummed, licking at the kit's pelts gently to dry them. "Curl up closer to the tree, that's it," she murmured, trying to shield them from the wind. She shivered, pulling them closer to her.

"Get some rest, you two. I'll keep watch." Even as she said the words, she could feel the pull of sleep, and it wasn't long before darkness overtook her.

* * *

Starsplash woke to the sound of scratching. She blinked, the harsh morning light blinding her for a brief few moments. Quietly, so as not to disturb the two sleeping bundles, she padded outside, where she shook out her pelt to dislodge the ice that had formed on her from the night before.

A scrawny squirrel was scratching at the ground. It didn't hear her until she had her jaws around its spine, snapping it with a quick bite. She padded back to the hollow, where Snakepaw and Lilypaw were quietly waking from sleep.

Lilypaw looked sorrowfully at the small piece of prey. "That's all?" she asked mournfully.

Snakepaw glared at her. "Be grateful. It's only going to get harder from here on out." He knelt down a took a tentative bite, but Starsplash could see the little bit of disgust wiggling in his belly. A life of fat mice and parents hunting for them must have surely kept them free of hunger.

Starsplash watched as the two devoured the squirrel, ignoring her own pangs of hunger. _The kits and elders must be fed first._ After a few moments, nothing remained behind but a layer of bones and fur, which Starsplash took outside to bury.

Lilypaw shivered, scenting the air. "I hate this," she muttered, kicking up a small cloud of snow.

Snakepaw shivered. "Cheer up. Only a little while longer, and then we'll be at Thunderclan! Right, Starsplash?"

Starsplash bit her lip. "Well, it could take us anywhere from a few hours to the rest of the day. It depends on how fast we move." She turned her eyes to the horizon, where thin strips of clouds were outlined by the harsh leafbare sunlight. In the early morning light, they were the color of blood, and she couldn't shake the thought that it was a sign of something to come.

"Come on," she said gruffly, plucking up Snakepaw in her jaws and placing him on her back. She grabbed Lilypaw in her teeth and trudged forward, the two asking questions about nearly everything.

"What's that?" asked Snakepaw, pointing to a tree with broken bark.

"A hickory tree."

"What's that?" inquired Lilypaw, looking to little holes in the snow.

"Dog tracks."

"What's that?"

"Please, stop asking questions," begged Starsplash. The kits chuckled, but they kept mostly quiet.

Once they passed through the snowy forest, Starsplash set the kits down gently. She looked at her paws, the pads cracked from the cold. She grimaced and pushed down the urge to lick them warm. _You'll only get an infection that way_ , she reminded herself. At least here, the trees shielded the floor from most of the snow, and the leaves would insulate their paws better than bare dirt. "Come on, you two."

They followed her quietly, sniffing and running about in the new environment. Starsplash followed the worn path that Firestar had shown her, back when she was a little seven moons old apprentice. It had been warm, newleaf turning to Greenleaf, and she had insisted on running about and yelling to every living thing in the forest that, guess what, she was a Thunderclan apprentice!

The snap of a twig behind her made Starsplash turn. She hissed to the kits, "Get behind me!" They scrambled behind her, fear scent rolling off of them in waves. Starsplash hissed, tail lashing. Then, a cream face poked out of the bushes.

"Starsplash?"

"Redfur!"

Redfur ran forward, yowling in surprise. "What happened to you? Are you okay?" she licked her sister's face rapidly, purring. Redfur's face was thin, and her pelt was dull with malnourishment. "We were so worried! When Jayfeather found out about the raid, he was near catatonic. Firestar sent out a patrol, but we couldn't find you. A lot of us thought that you abandoned us."

"Never!" Starsplash insisted, pressing her forehead to Redfur's. "They took me captive and threatened to kill me. I didn't have a choice, I swear." She turned to the apprentices and nodded to Lilypaw. The calico padded forward and dropped the thick bundle of catmint. "These two helped me escape. This is Lilypaw, and that's Snakepaw."

Redfur purred shallowly and flicked her tail. "Thank you, the both of you." She turned to Starsplash. "I'm glad you're okay, sis. If I lost you…"

Starsplash shook her head. "I'm here, and I'm home." She plucked up the bundle of catmint. "Let's get home. We couldn't get all of it, but at least this way we can keep the sickness at bay."

"What?" Redfur stared at her, eyes wide.

Starsplash huffed. "With the catmint, we can at least cure the greencough."

Redfur's gaze darkened with sorrow. "It's too late for that," she sighed.

"What? What do you mean?"

Redfur dipped her head. "Without the herbs, sickness spread like wildfire. And if greencough didn't take a cat, those fox-hearted rogues did." She spat the word _rogues_ as though it were poison in her mouth. "It wasn't just us, either. Windclan stopped patrolling their borders, and Shadowclan were begging us for herbs and an alliance."

She shook her head in disbelief. "Shadowclan would never beg."

"They have now!" Redfur implored, tail lashing. "Well, they were. I don't even know if Shadowclan are still functioning at this point. But if they're anything like us, I fear for the future of the lake."

"What do you mean?"

Redfur chuckled darkly. "Thunderclan has fallen."

* * *

 **Ooh, what a twist!**

 **Yeah, this is kind of a boring chapter, but we'll get to the really juicy bits soon, I promise.**


	24. Updated Allegiances (Chapter Twenty)

**BASK IN THE DEATHS, READERS, AND DESPAIR.**

 **In all seriousness, I think this will be the last chapter to include the dead. It's only going to more cluttered from here on out, and I want to brush out the old to replace them with the new. I guarantee that some cats will survive. Probably. Maybe.**

 **I feel like George R. R. Martin, what with all these deaths.**

 **NOTE: If a character is not listed in the living allegiances, odds are they are dead. If they aren't listed in the dead, it probably means that I just forgot about them. Sorry about that!**

Current

 ** _Thunderclan_**

 **Leader** : None

 **Deputy** : None

 **Medicine Cat** : Leafpool- Pale brown tabby with amber eyes.

 **Warriors**

Ferncloud- Pale gray she-cat with green eyes.

Squirrelflight- Dark ginger tabby she-cat with a white paw.

Berrynose- Cream-colored tom.

Foxleap- Reddish-brown tabby tom.

Toadstep- Black-and-white tom.

Lakeflower- Blueish-gray she-cat with white splotches. Apprentice- Featherpaw

Briarstorm- Dark brown she-cat.

Bumbleflower- Pale gray tabby tom.

Redfur- Cream tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Apprentice- Bramblepaw

Starsplash- Silver tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

Sagewhisker- Dark ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

 **Apprentices**

Featherpaw- gray and white tom.

Bramblepaw- brown tabby she-cat.

Snakepaw- brown tabby tom-cat with white splotches. No mentor yet

Lilypaw- Calico she-cat. No mentor yet

 **Queens**

Poppyfrost- Tortoiseshell she-cat, expecting Berrynose's kits.

 **Elders**

* * *

 _ **Shadowclan**_

 **Leader** : None

 **Deputy** : Tawnypelt- Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. Expecting kits.

 **Medicine Cat** : Littlecloud- Very small tabby tom. _Apprentice: Flametail- Ginger tom._

 **Warriors**

Toadfoot- Dark brown tom

Applefur- Mottled brown she-cat

Crowfrost- Black-and-white tom

Olivenose- Tortoiseshell she-cat

Owlclaw- Light brown tabby tom

Ivytail- Black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

Starlingwing- Ginger tabby tom.

Pinespring- Black she-cat

 **Apprentices**

 **Queens**

Dawnpelt- Cream-furred she-cat. (Kits: Rookkit- brown tabby she-cat; Willowkit- tortoiseshell she-kit; Heronkit- cream and white tom-kit)

Shrewfoot-Gray she-cat with black feet. Expecting kits

 **Elders**

Cedarheart- Dark gray tom

Snaketail- Dark brown tom with tabby-striped tail

Kinkfur- Tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles

* * *

 ** _Riverclan_**

 **Leader** : None

 **Deputy** : None

 **Medicine Cat** : Willowshine- pale gray tabby she-cat.

 **Warriors**

Reedwhisker-black tom.

Minnowtail-dark gray she-cat.

Beetlewhisker-brown-and-white tabby tom

Petalfur- Gray and white she-cat

Grasspelt- Light brown tom. Apprentice- Podpaw

Mossystep- brown-and-white she-cat

Rushfoot-light brown tabby tom

 **Apprentices**

Podpaw- gray and white tom

 **Queens**

Mosspelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes. (Kits: Rainkit- blue she-kit with white paws; Moonkit- gray and white she-kit)

 **Elders**

* * *

 _ **Windclan**_

 **Leader** : None

 **Deputy** : Ashfoot-gray she-cat

 **Medicine Cat** : Kestrelflight-mottled gray tom

 **Warriors**

Nightcloud-black she-cat

Harespring-brown-and-white tom

Leaftail-dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Antpelt-brown tom with one black ear

Breezepelt-black tom with amber eyes.

Sedgewhisker-light brown tabby she-cat

Boulderclaw-large pale gray tom

Furzeclaw- gray and white she-cat

 **Apprentices**

 **Queens**

Sunstrike-tortoiseshell she-cat with a large white mark on her forehead. (Kits: Horsekit- tortoiseshell she-kit with white paws)

Heathertail-light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Expecting kits

 **Elders**

Webfoot-dark gray tabby tom

* * *

 _ **Dark Forest (Living)**_

Hawkfrost- Dark brown tabby tom rogue with white chest and icy blue eyes

Chillfang- Pretty white and ginger she-cat rogue with blue eyes

Steel- Handsome dark gray rogue tom with white spotting and blue eyes

Kelsie- Tortoiseshell she-cat. (Kits: Siegfried- brown tabby tom-kit with white spotting; Blitz- brown and white tom-kit; Sapphire- silver tabby she-kit)

Jinx- bright ginger she-cat with blue eyes.

Eaglefang- brown and white tom.

Icewing- Snowy white she-cat with amber eyes.

Owlfang- dark gray she-cat with amber eyes

Darkstorm- black tom-cat with blue eyes

Torntail- white tom-cat with amber eyes and bobbed tail.

Vineclaw- tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. (Kits: Gorsekit- brown tom-kit; Coldkit- white she-kit with brown paws and tail; Robinkit- calico she-kit with amber eyes)

* * *

 _ **Others**_

Peach- Long-furred cream tabby she-cat with curled ears. Loner

Vinny- Ginger and white tom with amber eyes. Loner

Hollyleaf- Black she-cat with bright green eyes. Expecting kits **(Sorry about the confusion! Her kits are coming in a couple of chapters)**

* * *

 _ **Dead**_

 **TC**

Sandstorm- Pale ginger she-cat. Greencough

Purdy- ragged brown tabby tom, a former loner. Greencough

Sorreltail- Pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with white patches. Greencough

Icecloud- Snowy-white she-cat. Icewing

Mousefur- Dusky brown tabby she-cat. Greencough

Birchfall- Light brown tabby tom. Greencough

Mousewhisker- Gray-and-white tom. Greencough

Rosepetal- Dark cream she-cat. Greencough

Hazeltail- Small gray-and-white she-cat. Hawkfrost

Longtail- Pale brown tabby tom, retired early due to failing sight. Greencough

Spiderleg- Long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes. Greencough

Blossomwind- Tortoiseshell and white she-cat. Greencough

Dawnfur- Cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes. Greencough

Lionblaze- Golden tabby tom. Greencough

Millie- gray tabby she-cat. Greencough

Jayfeather- gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes. Chillfang

Graystripe- gray tom with amber eyes. Greencough

Cinderheart- Grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Greencough

Cloudtail- Long-haired white tom with blue eyes. Greencough

Brightheart- White and ginger she-cat. Greencough

Firestar- bright ginger tom-cat with green eyes. Greencough & Rogue Attack

Daisy- Cream she-cat. Jinx

Brackenfur- Golden-brown tabby tom. Greencough

Thornclaw- Golden-brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Greencough

 **RC**

Curlpaw- brown she-cat. Icewing

Rippletail-dark gray tabby tom. Greencough

Mistyfoot- gray she-cat with blue eyes. Greencough

Bloomkit- calico she-kit. Greencough

Jumpkit- black and white tom with amber eyes. Greencough

Graymist-pale gray tabby. Greencough

Leopardstar- unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat. Greencough & Cat Diabetes

Mintfur-light gray tabby tom. Greencough

Mothwing- dappled golden she-cat. Greencough

Pebblefoot-mottled gray tom. Greencough

Duskfur-brown tabby she-cat. Greencough

Mallownose-light brown tabby tom. Greencough

Dapplenose-mottled gray she-cat. Greencough

Hollowwing-dark brown tabby tom. Hawkfrost

Troutscale-pale gray tabby she-cat. Greencough

Pouncetail-ginger-and-white tom. Greencough

Robinwing-tortoiseshell-and-white tom. Greencough

 **WC**

Whiskerpaw- light brown tom. Eaglefang

Tornear- tabby tom. Greencough

Gorsetail-very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Owlwhisker-light brown tabby tom.

Swallowtail-dark gray she-cat. Greencough

Graykit- light gray she-kit. Greencough

Cloudkit- white she-kit with blue eyes, deaf. Froze to death

Onestar-brown tabby tom. Greencough

Whitetail-small white she-cat. Greencough

Emberfoot-gray tom with two dark paws.

Weaselfur-ginger tom with white paws

Crowfeather-dark gray tom. Greencough

 **SC**

Gorsetail-very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes. Greencough

Redwillow- Mottled brown and ginger tom. Greencough

Creamkit- cream tabby tom-kit. Greencough

Tigerheart- Dark brown tabby tom. Greencough

Ferretclaw- Cream-and-gray tom. Greencough

Oakfur- Small brown tom. Greencough

Owlwhisker-light brown tabby tom. Jinx

Blackstar- white tom with big black paws. Greencough & Rogues

Ratscar- Brown tom with a long scar across his back. Greencough

Rowanclaw- Ginger tom. Greencough

Smokefoot- Black tom. SC. Greencough


	25. Chapter Twenty-One: Clash of Thunder

Starsplash surveyed the broken camp numbly. The cats around her were pressing up against her, asking questions, but Redfur shooed them away. They were skinny, smelling of sickness and mud. She counted maybe a dozen cats up and milling about, and a thought in the back of her mind buzzed, _Who's still alive?_

Snakepaw brushed up against her. "What should I do?" he whispered quietly. Starsplash sighed and nudged him towards the medicine den, where she could hear the faint sound of retching.

Leafpool padded over, her once vibrant pelt dull and smelling of sickness. "How did you get this much catmint?" she asked quietly, voice shaky.

Snakepaw dipped his head in respect to the medicine cat. "We took it from the rogues. This was all we could get."

Leafpool let out a quiet sigh. "Come with me, now. Toadstep and Sagewhisker are still ill, but this should save them."

 _Sagewhisker!_ Starsplash quickly darted forward. "Leafpool, I'm healthy, and I know how to use herbs. Please, get some rest."

The medicine cat sighed and pressed her forehead to Starsplash. "I can't let you do that. Right now, you and those two apprentices you brought in are going to be our best options for hunting."

She bit her lip. "Then have Jayfeather treat them! You look like you might collapse any moment."

Leafpool snarled. "Jayfeather's dead, alright? The rogues got to him."

 _No…_ Starsplash shook her head weakly in disbelief, but the medicine's cats were filled with grief. Leafpool turned to the cats, who were huddled together. "Go to Squirrelflight. She'll send you on a patrol."

Starsplash nodded, pushing past a scrawny Briarstorm. She padded up to Squirrelflight and dipped her head. "I'm sorry I couldn't come home sooner," she mewed quietly.

Squirrelflight sighed. "Sorry doesn't fill any bellies." She flicked her tail. "Lakeflower and Featherpaw were just about to leave. Go with them."

"Featherpaw?" she murmured. "So Ferncloud's litter became apprentices," she purred.

Squirrelflight nodded. "One of the last things Firestar did before-" Squirrelflight cut off, her voice cracking slightly. She took steady breaths in an effort to calm herself.

Starsplash licked her grandmother's face gently. "It's okay. I'll go with them, don't worry."

She padded off to where Lakeflower and Featherpaw were setting out, and nodded to Lakeflower. "I'm hunting with you two. Is that alright?"

The warrior nodded. "Hey, you look healthy enough. Might as well."

They set out, the sun hidden by a veil of clouds. Featherpaw clung to his mentor, looking around fearfully at every snapped twig or falling clump of snow. _He's afraid of the rogues. Poor thing._

Lakeflower flicked her tail. "Say, Starsplash. Can you take Featherpaw to the old Twoleg Den? I think I saw a crow's nest there." The warrior flicked her gray-blue tail. "Redfur said that she wanted to check out near the Sky Oak."

Starsplash nodded, biting back the urge to yell at the she-cat for running off with her sister when the clan needed fresh-kill in their bellies.

 _Says the cat who's been eating fat mice and treating sprained ankles for a half moon,_ said the little voice in her head.

 _Shut up_.

"Come along, Featherpaw." Featherpaw followed her as they skirted their way north, staying silent. After a few minutes, Starsplash couldn't deal with the silence any longer. "So, you're an apprentice now! That's cool, right?"

"I guess," muttered Featherpaw.

Starsplash sighed. "I'm sorry that I was gone for so long. It wasn't my choice I swear. But I'm here now, and I'll die before I leave my clan."

"I'm sorry that your mom is dead."

She had already inferred this, but it still hit her hard. She stopped, gaze unfocused, and she forced the bile building up in her throat to die down. "Thanks," she murmured. "But if we're going to do anything productive, I need to know what's troubling you."

Featherpaw refused to make eye contact with her, ears flat against his head. He muttered something under his breath.

"What?" Starsplash asked, turning around to face the apprentice.

"I said that I'm scared!" he admitted, his face flushed.

Starsplash couldn't stop herself from chuckling, and Featherpaw's face fell. "Don't laugh! It's not funny! I'm scared, and my clanmates are dead, and who knows? It could be me next!"

"Featherpaw-" Starsplash cautioned, stepping towards the apprentice.

He hissed, and Starsplash backed up several paces. "Stop! Stop acting like everything's going to be okay! You weren't here when everyone was sick, or dying, or dead! You didn't have to see your older siblings die in front of you! You weren't forced to lay in bed for three days because you started coughing so hard that your whole body shook! You didn't have to lie there as cats died around you, and you couldn't do anything about it!"

His voice had risen to a loud bawling at this point. "So yeah, I'm scared! I'm scared that the last two cats in my family are going to die, and I won't be able to do anything about it!"

He went silent after that, silently sobbing. Starsplash hushed gently, pulling him to her side. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay if you're scared, alright? Everyone is scared. I'm only pretending to be okay for the sake of my clanmates. I'm terrified right now."

Featherpaw wiped at his face and looked up to her. "Really?" he sniffed.

Starsplash nodded. "I was so scared. For half a moon, I was in a camp with rogues, half of whom would have killed me if I ever became unnecessary." She sighed and flicked her tail around the two of them. "I was constantly wracked with worry about my clan, and if everyone was okay. Sooner or later, the shock is going to wear off, and I might just have a breakdown." She laughed humorlessly.

Featherpaw pressed his face to her shoulder. "So why are you so calm?"

She licked the top of his head gently. "I honestly don't know. Stress, maybe? It's a hell of a numbing agent. Or the fact that it's all happened so suddenly, and I haven't had time to process it. Whatever the reason is, I just want to keep working as hard as I can. There'll be time for grief later."

Featherpaw nodded wordlessly, and she sighed. "Why don't we get back to hunting, alright? A little exercise will make you feel better, I promise."

The two made their way to the structure, Starsplash quietly scenting the place. She stalked around, Featherpaw close on her tail. She followed the fresh scent of a rabbit, little red droplets leaving a tantalizing trail. She purred quietly in her throat and turned the corner, only to tilt her head in confusion. The little creature's carcass lay out in a sunny spot where the shade from fallen timbers broke. "Why's it dead?" asked Featherpaw.

"I don't know," murmured Starsplash. She padded forward carefully and flicked a paw out, disturbing the rabbit. She yowled and leaped back as a jaw of Silverthorn snapped shut where her paw had been a moment before. She sniffed it and recoiled. "It's bloody!" she snarled.

Featherpaw was shaking. "Come on, we have to get out of here. Prey isn't worth you dying!"

The snap of a fallen twig was all the warning she had before someone barreled into Starsplash, pinning her roughly to the forest floor. Featherpaw shrieked, and her attacker snarled. "Stay quiet, or I'll kill her."

Starsplash hissed, trying to throw her attacker off, but they held onto her scruff tightly. "Get off of me!" she yowled.

Her attacker chuckled and leaned down. "Oh, but I can't do that, can I, _Starpaw?"_

Starsplash froze. "Hawkfrost?"

The rogue purred. "In the fur." He bit down onto Starsplash's shoulder, eliciting a yowl of pain from the warrior. She kicked out, but Chillfang appeared from the shadows, biting at her legs.

Featherpaw ran towards her, but Starsplash shook her head. "Get Lakeflower!" she ordered.

He had barely turned when Icewing, Jinx, and Eaglefang stepped out, teeth bared. "Oh, we can't let you do that," purred Icewing, swatting a paw out that sent Featherpaw flying into a tree trunk.

"Featherpaw!" she shrieked. She reared up and threw Hawkfrost off, rushing over to the apprentice. He was dazed, but alive. She nudged him gently and whispered into his ear. "Run. Go, Featherpaw! Make it count!"

He darted off into the bushes, but before Eaglefang could follow, she blocked the path. She bared her teeth, shoulder bleeding from the teeth marks Hawkfrost had left in her. "I will die before I let you do that."

Eaglefang snarled. "Then you will die."

He stalked forward, before jabbing a paw out. Starsplash yowled as he tore away some of her fur. _He's toying with me._ Starsplash hissed and fell to her stomach, making herself appear smaller. The warrior hissed in supposed victory, leaping for her, when Starsplash suddenly reared up and dug her claws into the tom's belly, eliciting a pained shriek. The two tussled for a few moments before Starsplash got the upper hand. She sunk her teeth into his flank and bit hard until she heard a crack.

She only had a moment to celebrate her own success before Hawkfrost snarled and pulled her off of him. "Disobedient, glorified, herb chewer," he snarled. "You don't realize just how good you would have had it, do you? You would have been the medicine cat of a new and triumphant Dark Forest, respected and feared by everyone that mattered. But instead, you cling to your loyalties, unwilling to make sacrifices. No ambition, no goals."

She hissed, trapped under the rogue's sturdy paws. "You have to be kidding me! My loyalty is to my clanmates, which you seem to lack. And if you ever think I would be a medicine cat by choice, working in your clan-"

She was cut off quite literally as Hawkfrost sunk his teeth into her neck, cutting off her air supply. She struggled weakly, scratching at his legs, but knew that she had a minute, maybe two, to get her breath back.

Suddenly, a chorus of yowls came from behind her. "FOR THE FOREST!" yowled the warriors rushing forward, as the bushes burst open with cats. The two-leg den turned into a chorus of yowls and hisses as the weakened Thunderclan cats clashed against the rogues.

Redfur lurched forward, dragging Hawkfrost off of Starsplash. "Get away from her!" yowled Redfur, back arched.

Hawkfrost hissed and leaped forward, but Lakeflower beat him down, hissing. "Pick on someone your own size!"

Hawkfrost hissed but turned away to help Jinx, who was held down by Berrynose and

Foxleap fell under the paws of Eaglefang. The two wrestled fiercely, fur flying. Eaglefang lurched up, teeth bared, before Ferncloud tackled him, claws sharp as thorns. "Get off of my son!" she hissed.

The rogue chuckled. "Aw, is the widdle queen going to fight me? Come on, baby girl-"

Ferncloud hissed as she whipped out a paw, bringing back a pawful of brown and white fur. "Turns out I get knocked up easier than I get knocked out, you mange-pelted rogue."

He snarled, but she yowled a cry and leaped on him, scratching at his soft underbelly. "You stupid piece of fox-dung, I was trained as a warrior of Thunderclan. Do you really think I forgot ten moons of training the moment my mate licked my cheek and called me beautiful? Because I am, sweetheart, but that doesn't mean I can't claw your pelt off and use it to line my nest!"

The rogue hissed, but Ferncloud grabbed him by his scruff and forced him to the ground, scrabbling in the dirt. As he reared up, she sank her teeth into his throat. He yowled, mouth filling with blood and staining his muzzle red. His eyes dulled, and Ferncloud dropped the corpse, panting slightly. Foxleap stared at the body, a mix of fear and awe for his mother in his voice. "Ferncloud, you always seemed so gentle. I never thought…"

Ferncloud flicked her tail. "I will do whatever it takes to defend my clanmates and my children." She turned to Icewing, her face wide in horror. The rogue yowled and hissed at Ferncloud, who simply scoffed. "Well?" she dared, stepping forward.

Icewing and Ferncloud stalked each other. "What are the rest of you spineless rogues waiting for?" she yowled. "I'm a damn baby-making, life-taking machine! Why should I care how many of you rogues I kill? I can just MAKE MORE! In my Belly!" Icewing yowled and ran off in pain as Ferncloud raked her claws down the white she-cat's flank. Ferncloud huffed, before jumping back into the fray.

"Starsplash! A rogue!" called Squirrelflight, and she turned to see Darkstorm sneaking up on her. The two looked at each other for a moment-and for a moment it was just the two cats, staring at each other. Starsplash knew that he was an enemy, but Vineclaw and Torntail were currently fighting Briarstorm and Bumbleflower. The three of them had kits, and Starsplash knew that if Vineclaw and her mates were to perish, then Gorsekit, Coldkit, and Robinkit would be left without anyone to watch over them. She took a deep breath.

"Go," she hissed, and Darkstorm turned and fled.

Hawkfrost snarled and turned on her, fur bristling with barely-controlled rage. He stalked towards her, tail twitching. Squirrelflight ran up beside her, hissing at Hawkfrost. The tom chuckled darkly. "So this is the great Squirrelflight. You know, my brother was quite in love with you. It's really a shame that he had to die."

Squirrelflight hissed and stood beside Starsplash, claws flexing. "I always knew you were a bad influence on him. At least your children won't have to suffer the same fate." She leaped on him, teeth bared.

They fought, fur flying across the clearing. Hawkfrost snarled and bit at Squirrelflight's ear, tearing it. She yowled in pain and scratched at his belly, but Hawkfrost simply turned them and pressed her onto her side. He reared up, teeth bared and ready to make the kill.

But it never came. A black bundle of fur barreled into Hawkfrost, landing heavily. The cat quickly sunk its fangs into Hawkfrost's neck, bubbling with blood. Hawkfrost yowled and raked his claws across the black cat's belly, but he could barely breath as he spit up clots of blood, his muzle stained with his own life. The black cat refused to let up as his blows grew weaker and weaker, before going limp. They stepped off the body, huffing.

"NO!" shrieked Chillfang, rushing to her mate's body. "Hawkfrost, get up, please. Come on, love, get up. You can do this. Hawkfrost, please!" Her eyes grew wide, and she stepped back. "No…"

She whirled on the black she-cat. "You! You killed my mate!"

Squirrelflight hissed. "Get out of here, rogue. You've lost."

"No!" snarled Chillfang. She yowled and whipped her tail. "You're the reason my mate is dead! I'll kill you!"

Two little voices reared up, and four small bodies tackled Chillfang. _Lilypaw! Snakepaw, and Featherpaw and Bramblepaw! They came back!_

Lilypaw bit at her mother's chest, short fangs drawing blood as her companions held down Chillfang. The rogue queen snarled and bit at Lilypaw's back, trying to drag her off. "I'm sorry, mother, but I won't let you do this!" yowled Lilypaw.

Chillfang snarled and dragged Lilypaw off of her, holding her to the ground. Bramblepaw scratched at the rogue's face, but Chillfang ignored her and bit at Lilypaw's leg. Lilypaw screamed in agony as Chillfang destroyed her leg, tearing it apart in her jaws.

The rest of the rogues had fled, leaving behind Eaglefang's, Jinx's, and Hawkfrost's bloody and torn-up bodies. Starsplash shrieked and cried out, "Lilypaw! No!" The rest of the Thunderclan cats turned on Chillfang, who had barely thrown off Featherpaw when she fell under the paws of Toadstep, Ferncloud, and Lakeflower.

Starsplash panted for breath, suppressing the urge to gag. The bodies smelled of dirt and salt, and her mouth grew dry at the sight of Lilypaw laying torn and bloodied on the ground. Snakepaw gently pressed his nose to her side, to which she coughed and moaned. Starsplash's heart jumped. _She's alive!_

Squirrelflight padded over to the black cat. "Hollyleaf, you came back! Please, stay with us." Squirrelflight's voice dropped to a whisper. "I can't bare to lose my last child."

The loner purred, pressing her face into her mother's fur. "If you'll have me."

The clan gasped at the name. After all, they knew her as a murderer, but if Hollyleaf was a traitor, why had she fought for them in the battle?

"Why are you here?" hissed Ferncloud, pelt bloodied and torn. The queen had been in the same litter as Ashfur, and would not easily welcome her brother's murderer into her clan again. "You turned your back on the clan when you murdered my brother."

Hollyleaf hissed. "You don't know the full story!"

Squirrelflight nodded and padded forward. "Ashfur had threatened to kill my children and I, during the forest fire. He later tried again while I was resting in the medicine den, but Hollyleaf saved my life."

Ferncloud stepped down, fur smoothing. "Why didn't you tell us that?"

Hollyleaf ducked her head, licking at her chest nervously. "I was scared. I thought that if I told everyone, that you would think me a murderer anyway, and a liar along with it."

The loner's fur was sleek and shiny, and her belly hung low against the ground. Starsplash padded forward and placed her tail on Hollyleaf's back gently, inhaling her scent. It had changed, warmer and milkier. She turned to Hollyleaf, surprised. "You're expecting kits?"

Hollyleaf's face darkened. "I don't want kids. I'm not meant to be a mother."

Squirrelflight sighed. "That's fine. Poppyfrost is having kits any day now." Squirrelflight turned to Ferncloud. "My friend, I promise that Hollyleaf didn't kill Ashfur in cold blood. I know that's no excuse, but…"

Ferncloud sighed and shook her head. "I should have seen the signs earlier. Ashfur wasn't exactly the sanest cat, and I never did anything to help save him. I should have done something." The queen turned to Hollyleaf. "I don't think I can forget what you've done, but I can forgive you."

Squirrelflight turned to the cats around her. "Cats of Thunderclan!" she yowled. "We have proven ourselves against these rogues. It won't be ending soon, and perhaps it will never end. But we will stand strong. We will regroup, we will regrow, and we will never let the forest forget how strong we can grow."

Starsplash turned to Redfur, her ear torn and bloodied. She silently pressed her forehead to Redfur's, sighing in relief. "I love you, sis."

Redfur smiled. "I love you, too. Now let's go home."


	26. Chapter Twenty-Two: After the Battle

**Sorry I've been absent so long! I've recently started taking summer pre-calc classes, so that's eaten up a huge portion of my former writing time. But I promise I'll be wrapping the story up soon enough, with a cute little epilogue to boot.**

Starsplash gently plucked up Lilypaw, the apprentice hanging limply in her jaws. Her leg was snapped, glistening in blood, and Starsplash forced down a retch. Behind her, Chillfang's once beautiful body lay torn and bloody on the ground. She gazed sadly at the rogue's corpse, a sort of pity filling her. The rogue had certainly loved Hawkfrost, and now Snakepaw and Lilypaw were without a mother. _At least she can't hurt anyone else now._

Lilypaw whimpered. "I can't feel my left leg," she breathed, and Starsplash hummed sympathetically.

"It's okay. Leafpool will help you, okay?"

Lilypaw nodded weakly, letting her head hang. Starsplash manipulated her so that she was in an easier position to carry, pulling her towards camp. Snakepaw followed alongside the two of them, flicking his tail with worry for his sister.

Hollyleaf padded alongside the warrior and apprentices. "Kit, what's your name?" she asked quietly.

Snakepaw puffed up his chest. "I'm Snakepaw, ma'am."

Hollyleaf frowned, chest puffing out. "And how old are you?"

"Six and a half moons, ma'am!" he purred proudly.

Hollyleaf flicked her tail. "And your mentor?"

Snakepaw shook his head. "Never really had one. I mean, Steel used to train me and Lilypaw how to fight, and Eaglefang taught us to hunt. But other than that, me and Lilypaw never really had mentors."

Squirrelflight padded up alongside them, ear scabbing up quickly. "When we get home, I'll give you each a mentor." She sighed, looking at her paws. "I suppose enough time has passed. I haven't yet traveled to the moonstone, but a deputy has to be appointed." She turned to Starsplash. "If you were in my paws, who would you choose?"

 _Who would I choose?_ She wondered, flicking her tail. "Well, Berrynose is a bit too arrogant, and Ferncloud is getting too old. So I'd probably pick Foxleap. He's strong and selfless if a bit rash. Or, if you don't want to pick him, then Lakeflower is a good choice. She's even-tempered, and she doesn't let her achievements go to her head."

Squirrelflight hummed, flicking her tail. She smiled sadly at Hollyleaf, licking her daughter's wounded shoulder affectionately. "I would appoint you if I thought I could get away with it, but you have been gone from the clan for far too long."

Hollyleaf shrugged. "I don't resent you. Everything I've done, I do for my clan and the code."

Squirrelflight chuckled. "I'm proud of you."

Hollyleaf flushed, ducking her head. Starsplash chuckled and lay her tail on her aunt's shoulder, who smiled softly at her.

As Starsplash pushed through the entrance to the camp, Lilypaw wriggled gently. "Starsplash, I can walk."

Starsplash huffed. "No." She pulled Lilypaw through the vine entrance, into the medicine den.

Leafpool made a whimper of sympathy at Lilypaw's leg. "What happened?" she asked Starsplash, as the warrior placed the apprentice down gently in a nest.

Starsplash sighed. "Battle wounds. Can you help her?"

Leafpool nodded. "I think so. Right now, however, there's nothing much I can do to help her." She nudged Lilypaw. "Clean that wound of yours. I'll be back in a moment." She pushed through the entrance again and went to the clamor of cats returning from battle.

Lilypaw licked at her leg sullenly, fur spiked up with irritation. "Thunderclan isn't anything like you said it would be," she grumbled.

Starsplash glared at her. "Life isn't a box of chuckles. It's a tough life out here, especially during Leafbare. Every piece of prey, every claw-mark on our enemies, every patrol could mean the difference between life and death."

Lilypaw was silent for a moment. She flicked her ears and buried her head in her paws. "So if life is so difficult, why aren't we all just kittypets?"

Starsplash scoffed. "And what? Would we sit in their dens all day, lazy and fat? Eating dry food and wet slop, meowing for attention? Perhaps they enjoy that, but I'm a proud warrior of Thunderclan."

Lilypaw blinked quietly. "Maybe. But it also seems nice. I mean, a warm place to sleep, and two-legs to comfort and love you. No fear, no hardship." She had a dreamy look in her eyes, and she sighed contently, placing her head down.

Starsplash would have continued, but a quiet croak spoke up from a corner of the den. "What's this about kittypets?"

"Sagewhisker!" meowed Starsplash, bounding over to her friend. The she-cat's once vibrant red pelt was dirty and torn, and she had a welted scar across her eye. Still, her eyes were bright and fierce, and Starsplash felt as though she could drown in her friend's gaze.

Sagewhisker purred and pushed her cheek to Starsplash's. "Leafpool told me you came back, but I thought she was just lying to spare my feelings."

Starsplash shook her head, placing gentle licks to Sagewhisker's ears. "I can't die, remember? I'm too stupid."

Sagewhisker laughed, voice stronger than before. She twitched her whiskers and stood, bracing herself on Starsplash's shoulder.

Sagewhisker hobbled over to Lilypaw, looking her up and down. "You're about the age I was when my two-leg threw me out. She didn't want me." Sagewhisker bit her lip and looked down. "No one else would come get me, either. Momma wanted to keep me with her, but the two-leg kept saying something about me being kittypet quality. Momma thought she would kill me, but the two-leg just threw a shoe at me until I ran away."

Lilypaw whimpered. "Why would she do that?"

Sagewhisker shrugged. "Who knows? But I'm telling you this so that you don't get the wrong idea. Being a kittypet is nice enough, but it's not all cream and collars. You only eat when they feed you, they choose if you get to go outside, and some cats even get hit by their two-legs. It's a comfortable life for most, but it's not all sunshine."

Lilypaw thought for a minute, tail flicking. "Is there any life where a cat can truly be happy?"

Sagewhisker shrugged. "Every cat is different. If you don't want to stay a clan cat, that's your decision to make. I just hope you know that whatever path you walk, you have to make it on your own."

Lilypaw thought for a moment, then nodded. "I understand." She turned to Starsplash, calico ears flicking. "Starsplash, please don't hate me, but I want to be a kittypet."

Starsplash sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that." She turned to Sagewhisker. "Let's get you some fresh air."

Sagewhisker and Starsplash made their way out of the den, where they sat at Leafpool's side. The medicine cat was pressing thin bundles of wet cobweb to Berrynose's side, where Jinx had left a long gash on his shoulder. The warrior hissed and shook his pelt as a slow drip of blood fell down his side.

"Where's Poppyfrost?" he asked, looking around for his mate.

Leafpool smiled. "She's in the nursery, Berrynose. Don't worry."

He bit his lip. "Thanks for treating me, Leafpool. I'm going to go check on Poppyfrost now."

Leafpool rolled her eyes. "I told you last time that she'll be better off if left alone. She's still recovering, she doesn't need you clogging up the nursery."

He flicked his tail in irritation. "Okay, I'll go hunting. I'll bring her back the tastiest sparrow!" He bounded out of camp, to the annoyance of Toadstep.

Starsplash chuckled. "I hope that when I take a mate, they aren't as mouse-brained as Berrynose."

Sagewhisker flushed and dipped her head. "Yeah, well…"

"Oh, by the stars. Are you seriously padding after him?" asked Starsplash, incredulous.

"No!" denied Sagewhisker even more, flushed at this point. "Just drop it, alright?"

Starsplash rolled her eyes with jealousy. "I can't believe this. I thought you had better taste than him. Besides, he already has a mate."

"I'm not padding after him!" she hissed. "I just like how attentive he is to his mate. That's it, really."

Starsplash sighed with relief. "Alright, fine. But surely there must be someone in the clan you like? Or," she whispered, dropping her voice, "I won't tell if your sweetheart is in one of the other clans."

Sagewhisker shook her head furiously. "No, no! They're in the clan, I promise. I'm just not comfortable talking about it right now, so just drop it."

Starsplash smiled. "Alright. But if you get knocked up, you have to name one of them Tigerkit."

Sagewhisker laughed, bringing her paw up to her mouth. Starsplash felt her face grow hot at the adorable action, and she smiled. "Alright, alright, I'll remember that. But why Tigerkit?"

Starsplash shrugged. "I don't know. It just has a fearsome ring to it, doesn't it?"

Sagewhisker sighed. "Say, if tigers were orange with black stripes, why was Tigerstar a brown tabby? Come to think of it, so's Tigerheart of Shadowclan"

Starsplash poked Sagewhisker. "Well, you're not green with purple flowers, are ya? Names don't have to make sense. Like, stars don't splash, and squirrels don't fly. It's just supposed to be a representation of the cat."

Sagewhisker pouted adorably, which sent Starsplash's heartbeat running. She shook her head and pressed her tail to Sagewhisker's face, watching Snakepaw run around to each of the different warriors. "C'mon. There's someone I want you to meet."


	27. Chapter Twenty-Three: Memories

Starsplash yawned, a shaft of weak sunlight falling through a gap in the roof of the warriors' den. She shifted in her nest, going still when she realized that Sagewhisker was curled up next to her. Sagewhisker sighed and murmured in her sleep, "Can't catch me, you're a squirrel."

Starsplash chuckled. "Yeah, you tell him," she whispered into Sagewhisker's ear.

"Yeah…" Sagewhisker drifted back into sleep, and Starsplash took her chance to disentangle herself, padding out into the early morning air.

The battle from the day before still bore its marks, but Starsplash wasn't concerned about that. She padded to the medicine den, where Leafpool was quietly mourning. She lifted her head, but the warrior simply laid her tail on Leafpool's back gently. She sat with her great-aunt in silence for a while, the two leaning on each other for comfort.

After a moment, Leafpool spoke. "You miss him."

It wasn't a question. "Yes." She pulled her tail forwards and rubbed it against Leafpool's cheek comfortingly.

"Squirrelflight told me that you were his daughter. Of course, I already knew, but I'm not one to be vocal about that." Leafpool chuckled and nudged Starsplash gently. "Well, our family never was good at following rules."

Starsplash turned to her, unsure of what she meant. "I don't understand."

Leafpool sighed. She stood up, shaking out her pelt, before turning to Starsplash. "I'll show you where Dawnfur and Jayfeather are buried. Squirrelflight insisted that they were buried together."

Starsplash followed Leafpool outside the camp, to where a small yew bush hung with scarlet berries. Leafpool flicked her tail. "I knew from the beginning that Jayfeather adored her. My clanmates preferred to stay away from him, of course, but I knew him unlike any other cats. When he came back to camp one day, mind wandering and a soft smile on his face when he thought no one was looking, I knew that he had found someone to love."

Starsplash sat next to her, sighing. "So why didn't you say anything?"

Leafpool chuckled. "How could I? I was once in the same position." The medicine cat turned her gaze westward, towards the moors. "I had once run away with a handsome tom, and I thought I loved him. But I realized that I loved my clan more. He didn't take the news well, and we're still not on speaking terms."

Starsplash thought back to the battle on the moors, and how Crowfeather and Leafpool had spoken with a harsh familiarity. "You mean-"

Leafpool nodded. "Even now, I still have feelings for him. He makes my heart beat fast, and I know that, in another time, in another world, we could have been happy together." She fiddled with a twig at her paws, claws coming out. "He has a mate now, and a son in his clan. I only hope that he treats them better than he treated me." She snapped the twig in half, and a closer look revealed that Leafpool was close to tears.

Starsplash buried her face in Leafpool's fur, in an attempt to comfort the older she-cat. Leafpool took a few deep breaths and steadied herself, smiling sadly. "Thank you, little one." She purred and wiped at her face a few times, before letting out a long sigh.

"In any case, I knew that this was something that made Jayfeather happy, so I let him be. I figured it was a flight of fancy, or that he'd come to realize the importance of his clan, like I did. I only realized later just how much she truly meant to him. When she was close to giving birth, he brought her to the clan, under the guise of her simply being a lost rogue. I smelled the herbs on her, but again I stayed silent.

"And when you were born! Oh, he was such a worry-worm." She chuckled and rubbed her cheek to Starsplash's. "You weren't breathing at first, you know. I had to lick the life into you. And after that, you would barely suckle. We thought you were a goner for a while. But he refused to give up on you. He was constantly checking up on you, making sure you were gaining weight. That's not to say he didn't care about the other kits, of course. He would play games and try to teach as much as he could to little Burntkit and Gorsekit, but they never stuck to herbs like you did. For a while, I speculated that you might become his apprentice, but you had your sights set on being a warrior."

Starsplash flushed and ducked her head. "Leafpool, I know all this. Why do you keep telling me?"

Leafpool sighed. "I suppose it helps ease the pain. Herbs can only do so much, you know."

She nodded. "I suppose you have a point. Continue?"

"Right. Well, he was so terrified when you were taken. By the time we found out what happened, they had hidden their scents well enough to be foreign to us. He refused to rest until I reminded him of his abilities. When he woke up, he wanted to rescue you immediately, but at that point several cats had fallen ill, and with no catmint, we had to start working harder than ever to try and cure it. It grew worse than we had encountered before, rearing its ugly head faster than we could cut it down. It grew to the point where we started sleeping in shifts, so that if a cat died, we could give them a moment of peace before the end.

"It got worse once Dawnfur grew ill. He tried to visit her as often as possible, but she refused any herbs he tried to give her, instead offering them to the other cats. When she died… when she died, something inside of him broke. He was out searching for any herbs he could alongside Bramblepaw when the rogues attacked. He sent her back to camp, saying that he would hold them off for as long as he could. When we found him, his throat was slashed."

Leafpool took a few deep breaths, trying to steady herself. Starsplash curled her tail with her great-aunt's. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked quietly.

"I thought… I thought that it might bring you some closure. To know…. They died true warriors."

Starsplash buried her face in Leafpool's side, close to crying. "I'm sorry I wasn't here," she whispered, feeling like a kit in the she-cat's presence.

A rustling behind them alerted Starsplash as Squirrelflight and Hollyleaf stepped out, mother and daughter side by side. Hollyleaf took barely a moment to recognize what was going on, and she placed her muzzle on Starsplash's head gently. Squirrelflight sat beside Leafpool and curled her tail with her sister's.

After a little while, Starsplash hummed quietly. "Tell me a story from when you were kittens?" she asked Hollyleaf.

The black she-cat chuckled. "Which one? There's so many to tell, I could fill a moon with them."

Starsplash listened as the queen told her story after story, of the adventures and mischief they got into as kits. Squirrelflight chimed in every now and then with a little snippet, and soon the mood had changed from mournful to reminiscing. It was still sharp and painful, but Starsplash felt as though she could bare it now, with others beside her to shoulder the burden. At least now, she might feel whole again.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Four: Revelations

Starsplash shivered as they walked the familiar path to the island. After so many moons of ice and snow, Newleaf was almost upon them. The last frost had been a quarter moon ago, and the day before Redfur had showed her a spot where a sprig of catmint was sprouting, baby leaves still fragrant and soft. Though this was to be the first gathering since the battle, she still couldn't help but feel like a kit, sniffing at the dew that glittered on every twig and stone.

A breeze blew toward them, disturbing the surface of the lake and bearing the scent of many cats. Starsplash shivered with excitement at the prospect of meeting the other clans. It had been so long, she had nearly forgotten how large the territories really were.

In the moon since the battle, her clan had slowly begun to heal and repair itself. Poppyfrost had struggled while giving birth, and for a while she faded in and out of conciousness, but in the end had given birth to two healthy kittens. Berrynose had been present for every bit of her labor, refusing to leave his mate's side while she was in pain, and Starsplash chuckled, remembering how he hadn't left Poppyfrost's side until Leafpool all but dragged him away.

Wolfkit, a fawn tortoiseshell bicolor, had been named for her large ears, pointed and furry like that of the fearsome canines. She was an adventurous kit, always looking to boss around her siblings into whatever hare-brained scheme she thought would be the most fun. Starsplash could distinctly remember how she once tried to convince Squirrelflight to let the half-moon old kit explore the forest on her own, wobbly legs and blurry vision be damned. Wolfkit, however, wasn't disturbed by all this, and simply tried to stalk out on her own until a snickering Berrynose plucked up his darling daughter and pulled her into the nursery again. The second kit was a small brown point tom with a cream coat, named Sedgekit for his untameable pelt. He followed his sister everywhere, but once left alone, Starsplash had found that he was quite the studious kit. He asked her questions about where the best places to hunt where, begged her to teach him how to fight, and once even tried to teach himself how to use herbs. Needless to say, he wasn't allowed near the medicine den again without the strict supervision of Leafpool. Starsplash smiled at the memory of him wailing, fearing that he was going to die from eating yarrow. A little vomiting later, however, and he was back to his inquisitive self.

When Hollyleaf's kits had arrived three days later, the labor had been arduous, lasting several hours. Leafpool had stayed beside her until at last, three limp bundles lay on the floor of the nursery. Poppyfrost had fallen in love with the kits at first sight, cooing softly to the newborns. It hadn't been hard to convince her to adopt the little ones, and once Hollyleaf had recovered from the arduous labor, she had been back on her paws and hunting for her clan.

Poppyfrost's adopted kits were a cute bunch, and fit in with Poppyfrost's litter so well that unless you knew their birth mother's identity, you'd never suspect a thing. Hollyleaf had left naming up to Poppyfrost, who took great care in choosing names that suited each of them. The first, a distinct torbie she-kit named Echokit, was the loudest, constantly mewing for Poppyfrost or for her littermates' attention. She was a bit of a bully, shoving her siblings away from milk, but a few hisses from her mother later she would relent and allow her siblings to feed. After her was Nightkit, a near-perfect replica of Hollyleaf save for a mangled paw. He was the last of the litter to open his eyes, but they were a soft kitten blue, normal at such a young age. He was quiet, not one to join in on the games the other kits played. Instead, he would watch as Leafpool ran about camp with bundles of herbs in her mouth, paying attention to every last detail of the camp around him. The littlest one was Ashkit, a gray tom-kit with little flecks of black in his fur. He was a bit of a coward, but he listened as Ferncloud would tell stories, eyes wide with both fear and curiosity.

Starsplash was broken from her idle thoughts as Squirrelflight nudged her forward. She fell in behind her grandmother, who led the group of thunderclan cats on the thick tree that served as a bridge to the island. As she waited for Squirrelflight's signal to move, she watched the other Clan cats greeting one another across the bridge.

Suddenly, Squirrelflight bounded across the bridge, and her clan followed after her. Starsplash felt a twitch of fear as her claws slipped, and she yowled in fear as she clung to the icy branches. Hollyleaf chuckled and pulled her niece up by her scruff. "Careful, little one."

Ferncloud nudged them forward. Even in spite of her age, the former queen was still formidable. When she had taken on the role as elder, little had changed aside from the den she slept in. She purred and flicked her tail, bounding forward with youthful energy. "Come on, they're waiting for us!"

Together, the three made it across, and Starsplash set down lightly in the stone hollow. She glanced around the hollow, weaving her way through the gathered cats. She turned to Snakepaw, the apprentice gape mouthed at the sight of all the clan cats. Featherpaw chuckled and poked his clanmate gently. "It's cool, right?"

Snakepaw nodded. "I've never seen anything quite like it." He tucked his long tail around himself, fluffing out his long fur in the winter air. He was doing quite well in Thunderclan, even without his sister. He padded over to Hollyleaf, his mentor, who simply clicked her tongue and let him sit beside her while she chatted with a gray Riverclan warrior. The two had been paired together in some attempt to try and prove that the she-cat's loyalty was to Thunderclan alone, but they worked together well, with Snakepaw hardworking and patient with his mentor.

The gray warrior twitched her whiskers to Snakepaw. "I don't recognize you. Are you a new apprentice?"

Hollyleaf nodded, flicking her ears. "Go on, Snakepaw. Introduce yourself to her."

The brown tabby purred and fluffed out his chest. "I'm Snakepaw, ma'am. I recently became an apprentice, but I'm going to work hard to become the best warrior ever!"

The warrior huffed, clearly unimpressed. "You're scrawny. One wrong move, a fox will eat you whole."

Snakepaw yelped and hid behind his mentor, but Hollyleaf simply chuckled. "I could easily say the same of you, Minnowtail. I remember when you were hardly the size of one of your fish."

Minnowtail chuckled. "You say that like you were always the size of a bear. Don't you dare think I've forgotten how awed you were at your first gathering."

The two continued to bicker playfully as Starsplash shook her head and wandered around, tail flicking quietly. She sat beside a brown warrior of Windclan with black ears. He side eyed her. "You're the cat who scratched up my chest," he grunted.

Starsplash nodded, recognizing him from the border skirmish all those moons ago, and smiled slyly to the warrior. "And you gave me a pretty scar to match." She flicked her ear, where a thin scratch marred her silver fur.

He smirked and flicked her side gently with his tail. "I've been telling cats I was defeated by a great warrior of Thunderclan. Don't prove me wrong."

The two chuckled, before Featherpaw padded up, confusion written on his face. "Am I missing something? Aren't you guys supposed to hate each other? I mean, you're talking about when you tried to beat the other senseless."

The tom shook his head. "Perhaps. But Thunderclan shared their herbs with us, and tonight is the gathering. Besides, any warrior who fought the great Antpelt and lived deserves to be treated with respect."

"Are you singing your own praises again, Antpelt?" asked a black tom. His amber eyes glowed bright with mischief in the moonlight, and he walked as though he held a great secret.

Antpelt chuckled. "You'd know a lot about that, Breezepelt. Or shall I recite the story of your great moorhen escapade?"

"Oh, bite your tail!"

The two toms purred and butted heads, before a young queen strolled over. She was a lovely tortoiseshell with a white mark on her forehead, who purred as she flicked her tail. "Who are you two talking to?" she asked, though her voice was light and friendly.

Featherpaw dipped his head to the queen. "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am. My name is Featherpaw, and this is Starsplash."

"Don't call me ma'am!" wailed the queen overdramatically. She made a fainting motion, prompting a laugh from Starsplash. She sighed and fluffed out her fur. "I sound so old when you say that. I'm Sunstrike, by the way."

Starsplash nodded. "I smell milk-scent on you. Do you have kits at home?"

Sunstrike nodded, smiling at her belly gently. "Just my little Horsekit."

Squirrelflight wearily ascended the great tree and sat on one of its thick branches, joining Reedwhisker of Riverclan, Ashfoot of Windclan, and Tawnypelt of Shadowclan, each of whom Sunstrike pointed out to Featherpaw.

"Why don't they have their leader names yet?" asked Featherpaw, put at ease around the queen.

Sunstrike chuckled. "Ashfoot was planning to go to the Moonpool after the greencough epidemic broke, until your medicine cat showed up with the herbs Kestrelflight needed to cure the cough. She must have said something to her, but I don't know why she hasn't gone yet. Maybe the leaders are planning something?"

Starsplash smiled. She knew, of course, what the leaders planned to do. Leafpool had told her, once she had set off for Windclan. But she wasn't going to ruin the surprise for the others.

The four nodded to each other quietly, before Squirrelflight stepped forward, yowling for the attention of the cats in the hollow. Starsplash bid a quick goodbye to the windclan cats and Featherpaw, who continued to ask Sunstrike questions, and bounded over to Sagewhisker. The two sat together, purring silently. Starsplash looped her tail with Sagewhisker and leaned her head on the ginger's shoulder, gaze soft with affection. Here, with the other clans around them, Starsplash felt safe in being with the she-cat, a steady presence in her life that wouldn't go away anytime soon.

Squirrelflight took a deep breath and smoothed out her fur. In the faint moonlight, despite her scrawny form, she stood tall with pride, and her pelt was like a tongue of fire on the branch. "This has been a harsh leaf-bare for all the clans. Many of our cats have perished from lack of food and herbs, but Thunderclan remains strong even through this. Poppyfrost has given birth to two young kits, both healthy and strong. We also found a loner's litter on the border abandoned by their mother, but they are being raised by the queens, and are gaining weight."

Thunderclan let out a murmur of surprise at the lie, but none betrayed Hollyleaf, who simply stared up at the leaders with a hardened expression. Squirrelflight smiled gently to her daughter. "We gladly welcome Hollyleaf back home, and we are happy to report three new apprentices- Bramblepaw, Featherpaw, and Snakepaw."

Starsplash jumped to her feet, yowling "Bramblepaw! Featherpaw! Snakepaw!" The rest of Thunderclan joined in, along with a few cats from each of the other clans.

Then, a warrior of Windclan leapt to his feet. He hissed, ears flattened against his head. "So what? That means more mouths in thunderclan to feed, and we all know how desperate they get when they don't have enough food."

A murmur of unease rippled through the other clan cats, while Thunderclan seethed at the insult. Ashfoot glared and flicked her tail. "Leaftail, we've discussed this in camp. Hold your tongue," she warned.

Leaftail hissed. "And why should I, when Thunderclan refuse to stop breeding? Next thing you know, they'll be letting kittypets rule over them!"

"Be quiet!" snarled Minnowtail, the gray she-cat baring her teeth. "We came here to listen to the leaders, not to hear your incessant yowling. Besides, Thunderclan aren't the only ones who are glad to have fresh blood."

Leaftail snarled. "We shouldn't have taken those outsiders in in the first place! They'll just make us weaker, and besides, rogues only cause trouble!"

Starsplash felt a jolt of anger go up her spine at the last statement. She ignored Sagewhisker's call for her to come back and bounded over to the tom. She snarled at the warrior, tail fluffed out. "And what's wrong with taking in outsiders? My mother was an outsider, and she died for her clan."

He smirked, eyes narrowed. "Of course a border kitten wouldn't understand why we need to keep clan blood pure!" he yowled. The gathering collectively went silent in shock. To call someone a border kitten, and to their face, was a harsh insult with a price to pay.

"At least Thunderclan cats don't mate with our own cousins!" retorted Starsplash, eliciting a few yowls of outrage from the gathered cats.

It might have escalated further, what with the tom's snarling and Starsplash's unsheathed claws slicing up the grass beneath her, until Ashfoot leapt down from the great tree where she had been sitting and pushed herself between the two cats. "Enough of this!" she snarled. "Look above you! Starclan have covered the moon because you could not control your temper."

Starsplash stared up in fear. Just as the gray she-cat had said, wisps of cloud cast a shadow across the rising moon. She flattened her ears in shame and backed up, embarrassed. Squirrelflight is going to be so mad at me. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I won't do anything like this again."

Ashfoot sighed in relief. "Thank Starclan at least one of you is reasonable." She turned to Leaftail, the ginger tom refusing to make eye contact with anyone. She whipped a paw out and cuffed him across the ears, though she drew no blood. "You apologize, too."

The warrior huffed, but mumbled under his breath, "Onestar would side with me."

Ashfoot snarled at him, and he cowered under her fiery gaze. "Onestar died serving his clan, which you of all cats should know. I was his deputy, which makes me your leader. You. Will. Obey. Me."

The ginger tabby curled his tail underneath him fearfully, eyes wide at the outburst. "Yes, Ma'am." He turned to Starsplash and muttered a quiet apology.

Ashfoot flicked her ears. "I apologize for my clanmate's outburst."

Squirrelflight sighed. "We're all stressed, Ashfoot. Many have died, and those who survive are hungry and cold. A little anger is normal."

Ashfoot nodded. "I heard about what happened to Firestar, Squirrelflight. I'm sorry for your loss."

The cats in the gathering started murmuring, and Starsplash wondered, Is she going to tell everyone? Squirrelflight bit her lip and flicked her tail. "Our deputy, Graystripe, perished shortly before my father Firestar did, and in that time, Thunderclan needed a leader. I know that I was not deputy first, but I can only hope to serve my clan well for many moons to come."

Ashfoot made her way up the tree, sitting beside Tawnypelt. She whispered something into the gray she-cat's ear, who nodded. She flicked her ears to Squirrelflight. "Well said, Squirrelflight. But shall we move on?"

Squirrelflight stepped back, and Reedwhisker stepped forward. His lean body was evident despite a thick coat, and he spoke with a rasp that sounded like pebbles in a bubbling stream. "Riverclan has also braved through many deaths, but we persevere throughout it all. A queen of ours, Mosspelt, has given birth to a litter, and two of her kits survive. We also welcome a loner named Kelsie and her kits, who will be raised as clan cats." He glared at Leaftail, as if daring the tom to say anything, but the ginger tom kept his muzzle shut.

Sagewhisker turned to her and whispered silently. "That's your sire's new mate, yeah?"

She nodded. "But why is she in Riverclan?"

Sagewhisker shrugged. "Well, if I was one of those crazy rogues, if I found out my leader was dead, I'd probably want to go somewhere safe. And for her, I'd definitely want a place where my kits were guaranteed to survive. To her, the clans might have seemed like the best option."

"Hush, you two!" hissed a shadowclan queen, but she gave them an affectionate smile and turned away. The two young she-cats chuckled and kept quiet as Reedwhisker stepped back and Tawnypelt took the attention of the gathered cats.

"Shadowclan remains strong, despite all hardships. We recently lost our leader, Blackstar, when he was attacked by rogues and killed. However, my scouts report that the rogues responsible for the attack have since dispersed, and those that are not scattered to the winds have joined the clans."

The tortoiseshell fur glistened in the growing moonlight, and Starsplash could almost make out the faint figure of a brown tabby watching her with pride. The spirit turned to her, and Starsplash felt frozen in her place. He simply smiled and nodded to her, before disappearing.

Starsplash stayed frozen for a few moments, before Sagewhisker nudged her. "Hey, you alright?"

Starsplash nodded. "I thought I saw a ghost, next to Tawnypelt."

Sagewhisker shrugged. "Well, you can tell her after the leaders finish reporting."

Tawnypelt nodded to Ashfoot, who strode forward with a regal confidence. The gray she-cat was measured and calm, and Starsplash recognized her as the she-cat who had rushed to Onestar's side in that battle moons ago. She flicked her ears and spoke. "Windclan have suffered many losses, but we persevere despite it. Sunstrike has given birth to a healthy kit, and Heathertail is expecting. We have also welcomed three rogues into our camp- Darkstorm, Torntail, and Vineclaw, who have pledged allegiance to Windclan. Only time will tell, but they have proven hard-working cats so far, and Vineclaw has given us three kittens."

Sagewhisker grumbled under her breath. "So he complains about us having too many mouths to feed, when Windclan have as many as we do? He's a hypocrite."

Starsplash frowned. "Well, we have more warriors than them, and those kits are going to take a lot of prey before they're full grown. Besides, if he gets reprimanded for yelling about more mouths to feed, no one else is going to try the same thing."

Sagewhisker hummed. "Perhaps."

Ashfoot sighed, tail flicking. "I know that some of you must be curious as to why none of us have received our nine lives yet. Well, a moon ago, I was approached by Squirrelflight and Leafpool, who offered a plan. Because we still aren't sure of the threats, we will all be going tonight, when the moon is at her peak. We will each have our own ceremonies, but in this way we can hope for a new era of peace."

Reedwhisker sighed. "We will depart immediately. However, we are not abandoning you." He leapt down and padded over to Minnowtail. "I know this is sudden, but will you accept the position of deputy?"

Minnowtail stared gape mouthed at him for a moment, before nodding. "I would be honored."

He smiled. "Tawnypelt, who do you choose?"

The tortoiseshell didn't even hesitate a second. She turned to Crowfrost, the tom's eyes bright with excitement. "Crowfrost?"

He purred. "I hope to serve you well."

Squirrelflight smoothed out her pelt and leapt off the branch, turning to where Redfur and Lakeflower were sitting. She smiled softly and flicked her ears. "Lakeflower?"

There was a murmur through the collected cats, probably due to the she-cat's young age. But after a brief hesitation, she nodded vigorously. "Yes! I mean, I accept."

Ashfoot purred and padded over to a cinnamon tabby, dipping her head with respect to the warrior. "Sedgewhisker, will you?"

The she-cat fluffed out his fur with humility, smiling shyly. "If you'll have me."

After a moment of silence, Breezepelt raised his voice. "Minnowtail! Crowfrost! Lakeflower! Sedgewhisker!" The cats in the gathering picked up the chant, yowling for their deputies at the tops of their voices. The leaders glanced at each other, and, with their medicine cats, sprinted across the bridge, yowling their goodbyes.

Announcing the deputies certainly lifted the mood, Starsplash noted as she watched them. The new deputies padded around, accepting congratulations from the gathered cats. Redfur purred and quickly brushed shoulders with Lakeflower. Sagewhisker turned to her and purred. "Your sister's mate is deputy, so that's cool."

"Shh!" Starsplash hissed. She pulled Sagewhisker a few tail-lengths away. "No one knows that they're mates except for us and them. If the rest of the clan found out, well…" Starsplash trailed off, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Sagewhisker rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I doubt they'll much care whether or not two she-cats are in love. I mean, Daisy had two mates!"

"Yeah, both toms, both at different times." Starsplash shook her head. "If I were in the same position, I know that I'd want it to be private."

"Why?" asked Sagewhisker, her voice wavering. "Are you ashamed?"

"No!" answered Starsplash. She refused to make eye contact with Sagewhisker, embarrassed. "Look, can you just drop it?"

Sagewhisker sighed and shook her head. "Fine." She sounded dejected at the answer, and refused to make eye contact with Starsplash.

"Sagewhisker?" No response. "Sagewhisker, c'mon, talk to me." Starsplash padded forward and tried to nudge her friend, but the she-cat simply pulled away.

"I'm fine, Starsplash. Just- I need some alone time right now."

Starsplash watched as she sprinted off to a corner of the island, past a group of Shadowclan warriors. Starsplash sighed and padded towards where some apprentices were gathered.

A gray and white Riverclan apprentice purred and boasted, "I caught a fish this big!" He reared up on his hind legs, stretching his paws out a tail-length.

Berrynose laughed, padding up. He placed a paw on the tom's forehead, ruffling his fur. "Are you sure? How do I know you didn't just choke the fish going down its throat?"

The apprentice mock-hissed and turned on him. "Oh, please! Fish don't choke, minnow-brain! They breathe through their gills. Every apprentice knows that."

Berrynose chuckled. "I know, I'm just pulling your whiskers."

Starsplash bit her lip. Well, only one way to find out how'd they'd react. Here goes nothing. "Hey, Berrynose? Can I ask you a question?"

He cocked his head. "Uh, sure? What is it?"

She shook her head frantically. "Not here. Follow me." She lead the tom to a quiet spot, underneath a mulberry bush. She settled and sat on her paws, flicking her tail.

He looked to her with a bit of annoyed concern. "Well? Spit it out!"

Starsplash flicked her tail anxiously. "So, let's say, hypothetically, that there was a possibility- I mean, just a smidgen of a chance-"

"For star's sake, girl! Just spit it out!"

She winced. "Alright, alright! Look, if Wolfkit ended up liking she-cats, would you still love her?"

Berrynose gave her an odd look. "Why?"

She glared at him. "Just answer the question, alright?"

He shrugged. "Of course I'd still love her. She's my daughter, and if she's happy, I don't particularly care if her mate is a she-cat, or a tom, or someone else entirely. Now, why are you asking?"

Starsplash shuffled her paws. "Well, I was just wondering."

Berrynose's gaze softened. "Starsplash, is there something you're trying to tell me?"

She curled her tail underneath her. "Was it that obvious?"

"Of course." The tom placed his head on top of hers. "Look, if you're scared about being accepted, then I want you to know that Thunderclan will love you no matter what. So long as you remain loyal, you have nothing to fear."

She purred, relieved. "Thank you, Berrynose." She flicked her tail, thinking. "I just wish the cat I had feelings for felt the same way about me."

He narrowed his gaze. "It's not Poppyfrost, right?"

"No!" she hissed, loud enough to draw attention from a group of senior warriors. She flushed and curled up within herself. "It's Sagewhisker, alright?"

"What."

"But I think she likes you. I mean, if Poppyfrost is okay with it, then you'd better treat her right."

"What?"

"I mean, I'd prefer if she went after someone else, because you're way too old for her. No offense."

"Starsplash! Enough!" Berrynose looked flustered at this point. "You can't be serious. You seriously think- Oh my stars, you do."

He shook his head. "You dense rock-brained two-footed robin-head!" Several warriors glared their way at the swearing, but Berrynose ignored them. "The entire time you were missing, she was destroyed. She looked for you everyday, and she only grew sick because she wouldn't rest."

Starsplash shook her head. "You- you're lying." She stepped back, but Berrynose hissed and cuffed her about the ears.

"What do I have to gain from lying to you?" Berrynose took a deep breath and sighed, forcing his fur to lie flat. "Look, I know you think I only care about myself, but contrary to popular belief, I don't actively want you to suffer. Either talk to her about your feelings or get out of my fur."

Starsplash fell silent, staring at her paws. "I'm a mouse-brain," she muttered, sighing.

"Yes, yes you are."

"Don't agree with me!" she hissed. She twitched her tail, thinking quietly. "I don't think I'm ready to take a mate yet, but… I want to be close to her." She sighed and turned her gaze outwards, watching as Sagewhisker chatted quietly with a cream she-cat. The ginger she-cat threw her head back and laughed, and Starsplash's heart ached.

Berrynose huffed. "Well, why are you wasting my time? Go to her. And if you don't come back, I'll cover for you."

She nodded and licked Berrynose's cheek in thanks. Then, she bounded over to Sagewhisker, stopping beside the two she-cats.

Sagewhisker turned to the cream. "Sorry, Dawnpelt. I have to go." She turned to Starsplash. "Are you okay, Starsplash?"

She huffed, nodding fiercely. "Sagewhisker, I need you to come with me."

The ginger she-cat tilted her head in confusion, but followed Starsplash as she led her to a quiet dip, where the shore of the island kissed the lake. She sat down, tail flicking in the sand. In the moonlight, her pelt was the color of a tree in early leaf-fall, a splash of color before the damp of leaf-bare. "What did you need to ask me?" the she-cat asked, her expression guarded.

Starsplash shuffled her paws, choking on her words. "Well. Um, I- the thing is-"

She let out an annoyed noise and tackled Sagewhisker, pinning the startled she-cat to the ground. Sagewhisker yowled and beat her paws against Starsplash's chest, but the warrior hissed. "Sagewhisker, stop! Just listen to me!"

Sagewhisker hissed. "Why'd you tackle me, then? Let me up!"

Starsplash shook her head fervently. "No. Not until you listen to everything I have to say."

Sagewhisker hissed, but she stopped fighting back. Starsplash sighed and pressed her forehead to Sagewhisker's shoulder gently. "I… care about you. I can't think of any other way to describe it. And I'm not ready to be mates yet. Heck, I don't even know if you'd want me!" she chuckled nervously.

Sagewhisker's gaze softened. "Starsplash…"

Starsplash stepped off of her, still rambling. "I wouldn't blame you, really. There's lots of other great cats out there! I don't know what you see in me. I mean, you're loyal, determined, kind-hearted. I don't know what you see in a cat like me."

Sagewhisker sighed and placed her forehead to Starsplash's. "For future reference, if you plan on confessing to someone, maybe pouncing on them and being unnecessarily cryptic about the whole thing isn't the best way to go."

Starsplash hissed. "I'm so stupid."

"Yes, yes you are." Sagewhisker purred and held out her paw softly. "Look, I don't know if this is you trying to apologize for earlier, but if you really want a relationship with me, then I need to know that you aren't ashamed of me."

Starsplash shook her head. "No! I'd never be!" She flushed and ducked her head. "It's just…"

She took a deep breath, then forced herself to look at Sagewhisker. "I don't know how to describe it, but I care about you, a lot. Maybe it's just me being stupid and young, but right now I want to cuddle with you, and listen to you tell me about your day. And maybe later we could take a walk?"

Sagewhisker sighed. "That seems rather tame." Then, the tabby stepped forward and placed her muzzle to Starsplash's ear. "But if that's what makes you happy, then gladly."

Starsplash smiled, but it quickly faded. "So, what are we, then? If we're not mates, I mean."

Sagewhisker shrugged. "Do we really need to define it? All I know is that I want to stay by you."

Starsplash purred and looped around her, brushing cheeks together. "Alright. We'll talk about this in the morning. But right now, let's go home."

Sagewhisker tilted her head. "But what about the gathering?"

Starsplash let out a _mrrow_ of laughter and flicked her tail. "It's okay, I've got that covered."

Sagewhisker purred and shook her hindquarters. "Alright, Starsplash. I'll race you back to camp!" She darted off across the bridge, pushing past a group of queens, with a laughing Starsplash hot on her heels.

 **Whoot! I finally finished this chapter. Honestly, this is the longest I've ever spent on one piece, and it's probably my proudest achievement. I'm planning on wrapping up the first part of the story in a couple chapters, and then I might take a break on writing. Afterwards, who knows? Maybe I'll post a second part, maybe not.**

 **But in the meantime, know this- I love all of you guys. Honest-to-goodness. From the people who leave reviews and message me٩(๑ ₃ )۶ to the people who simply stop in to read a few chapters (✿◠‿◠), it's been a lot of fun doing this story. I'll be sad when it ends, but all goods things must.**

 **And in case you're curious, yes. I will have an epilogue to the story. Not yet, anyway, but soon.**


	29. Chapter Twenty-Five: New Positions

"Do you swear to uphold the warrior code, and to serve and defend your clan, even at the cost of your own life?"

Featherpaw purred, tail flicking proudly. "I do."

Squirrelstar closed her eyes for a moment, thinking. "Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forth, you will be known as Feathercloud. Starclan honors your courage and ingenuity, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan." Feathercloud stepped forward and licked his leader's shoulder, and his leader laid her muzzle on his head.

Starsplash stepped forward, yowling with her clanmates. "Bramblefur! Feathercloud! Bramblefur! Feathercloud!" The two new warriors stood proudly in the light of the dying sunset, bathed in red beams. As the cheering died down, she quietly linked her tail with Sagewhisker's, purring.

Snakepaw huffed, flicking his tail. "I don't see why I don't get to be a warrior," he grumbled under his breath. Hollyleaf glared and whipped him with her tail, hushing him softly. Though he was rather impudent, Starsplash couldn't help but agree with the young apprentice. He may have been small like his father, but he was dense, soft fat that had melted away into compact muscle. Even now, he could throw his mentor to the ground in training, and Hollyleaf was no small cat.

Feathercloud purred, placing a paw on Snakepaw's forehead. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get to be a warrior soon, okay?"

The apprentice flushed, smiling bashfully. "Yeah, ok." His crush on the tom was painfully obvious, but Feathercloud didn't seem to notice, turning and bounding to the edge of camp with his sister for the vigil.

Wolfkit bounded over, her tail flicking with excitement. Behind her, her littermates watched for a brief moment before going back to their game of mossball. "Starsplash! Starsplash!" she mewed, bouncing this way and that. "I learned my hunter's crouch! Look!"

The little she-kit got into a lopsided crouch, her paws pulled close to her body. She crept forward, paws thumping each time she made them hit the ground. She turned to Starsplash, face lit up with kittish pride.

Starsplash chuckled and adjusted her paws, smoothing out her tail. "If you want to have a perfect crouch, then you shouldn't be trying to slither forward like a snake. The purpose of the crouch is to put as much power into your pounce, in order to quickly pin and trap your target."

Wolfkit turned to her, her once blue eyes now darkened to a golden color. She pouted, frowning so exaggeratedly that Starsplash had to repress the urge to chuckle. "But _Staaar_ splash!" she whined. "I saw you stalking like this! It's the hunter's crouch!"

Berrynose sighed and padded up, coralling his little kit away from the two warriors. "Come on, dear. It's nearly sundown, and your mother is worried." Mollified slightly, Wolfkit allowed herself to be nudged to the nursery, rambling to Berrynose along the way.

Sagewhisker turned to Starsplash and purred playfully, running her tail along Starsplash's cheek. "Say… how about later on, we go on a nice walk? I'll be sure to make it fun, for both of us."

Starsplash stood up, tail flicking with anticipation. "Oh, really? If you want, I'll be waiting for you to 'hunt' me…"

"Oi, you two! Save that talk of yours for when you're out of camp, alright?" Ferncloud hissed playfully, tossing a bit of moss towards the two she-cats.

Starsplash stuck her tongue out. "Like you're one to talk! I still remember all the lewd things you and Dustpelt used to say to each other, and in the nursery no less." Ferncloud gave her an indignant look and went back to grooming her pelt.

Lakeflower padded up to her, tail flicking softly. "Sagewhisker? Can I steal Starsplash from you for a bit?"

Sagewhisker frowned, but after a moment she acquiesced and stepped away. "Alright, but don't be gone too long, alright?"

The deputy lead Starsplash out of camp, and they slowly made their way southeast to the lake. Lakeflower kept an easy silence as they traveled, sitting by the stony shore.

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Lakeflower smiled softly, sitting on the cooling dirt. She swept her gaze across the lake, lit up in the colors of the sunset. "So you know that Redfur and I are mates."

"Yes. So does literally everyone in the clan, since you never shut up about it!" Apparently, being made deputy had made Lakeflower confident enough in her clanmates respect for her that the two had finally, _finally_ become public with their relationship.

Lakeflower stared down and chuckled. "I know I'm a bit young for it, but… we were thinking of having kits."

"Kits?!" yowled Starsplash, leaping to her feet. "When are they due? Who's bearing them? Who's the sire?"

Lakeflower shushed her, placing a paw on her muzzle. "We're not definitively having kits, and no one is pregnant right now. I just wanted to know your thoughts on it, that's all."

Starsplash purred. "I think that it's a wonderful idea. After all, Poppyfrost's litter will be moving out of the nursery in a moon or so, and it'll be nice for the clan to have little ones running about."

Lakeflower beamed. "That's good to hear." She flicked her tail, looking to the woods behind them. "I'm facing a lot of responsibilities as deputy that I never could have imagined, but my clanmates make it all worthwhile."

Starsplash nodded. "I imagine that all the pressure seems rather daunting."

Lakeflower laughed, tossing her head back. "Well said, but untrue. Squirrelstar is helping me with things like organizing patrols, and my apprentice is finally a warrior, thank Starclan. Though I imagine she'll have me take on one of Poppyfrost's, when they come of age. I've asked her about whether she'll be taking one on, though, and she seems rather fond of Ashkit, believe it or not."

"Are you talking about me?" meowed a voice behind them. Starsplash turned, seeing the outline of her leader in the bushes. Starsplash purred and butted heads with her grandmother.

Squirrelstar purred and turned to her deputy. "I'm sorry for eavesdropping. But if you're thinking of having kits, that doesn't mean I'll suddenly remove you from your position. Don't worry about that."

Lakeflower bowed her head. "I understand, ma'am. Now, I'd better head out to the patrol I volunteered for."

Squirrelstar nodded. "I understand. And of course, I won't forget the moonhigh patrol you put me in. Now, head on back. I'd like a word with Starsplash, if that's alright."

 _At this rate, I'll never get to go on that walk with Sagewhisker._ Starsplash watched as Lakeflower padded off, tail held high with barely-disguised pride.

Squirrelstar smiled and laid her tail gently on Starsplash's back. "Forgive an old spinster her tales, but I remember when you first ventured outside the nursery. Redkit was a little scared without Lakekit by her side, but you went right on ahead. Well, until a leaf fell on you!"

Starsplash chuckled with embarrassment, remembering how she'd shrieked and screamed until Jayfeather dragged her into the medicine den to calm her down. "Don't bring that up, it makes me feel like a kit."

Squirrelstar scoffed. "In my eyes, you're still a kit." The leader sighed and lay down, her pelt rippling with the bit of fat she had recently put on. "I never knew that being leader would be so challenging, but I still feel as young as when I first stepped foot out of the forest."

Starsplash thought back to when she had sat beside Longtail all those moons ago, listening as he spoke of Sunningrocks. "Grandmother, what was the forest like?"

Squirrelstar hummed, closing her eyes. "Well, it was a bit smaller than the territories we have now, but it was richer, too. An old riverbed served as our camp, surrounded by brambles to protect us."

Starsplash scoffed. "How could a riverbed be big enough to serve as a camp?"

Squirrelstar chuckled and flicked her granddaughter's cheek with her tail. "It was a really big river, and we had done a lot of work on it. Just because we were lucky enough to find a large ravine doesn't mean that everything else left is inferior."

"Lucky?" Starsplash repeated softly. "I thought Starclan lead us to the territories, right?"

The leader didn't answer for a few minutes, and Starsplash briefly worried that she had somehow offended her grandmother. Then, Squirrelstar sighed. "The quest was prompted by Starclan, yes, but _we_ found the territories. And we lost good cats on the journey from the forest to the lake." She turned her gaze to the sky, then smiled sadly. "Starclan are good, but even they were taking a shot in the dark. And it paid off."

Starsplash shuffled her paws nervously. "But surely there has to be someone who knows everything… right?"

Squirrelstar bit her lip. "I don't know. I wish I could tell you. But I don't know."

The woods seemed darker now, the trees taller, the stars dimmer. Squirrelstar stood, flicking her tail. "Come on. It's best not to dwell on what you cannot change." The ginger she-cat flicked her tail, and in the pale moonlight she almost seemed to glow.

Starsplash chuckled and nodded. "Who told you that?"

"No one, actually! Came up with it myself." And together, leader and her granddaughter returned home.


	30. Ending of Book One

Starsplash sighed, looking out into her clan. The newleaf air was warm, but she couldn't find it within herself to move from her sunny spot. She flicked her tail and relaxed, purring softly with contentment.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Wolfkit tumbling around with Ashkit, Poppyfrost keeping a careful eye on them. The queen was clearly exhausted, however, her eyes dull and tired.

Berrynose padded up to his mate, purring. "How you feeling?" he murmured, licking between her ears.

The queen smiled wearily and sighed. "I feel like these kits have run me ragged. Just this morning, I caught Wolfkit and Echokit trying to sneak out."

Wolfkit hopped off of her brother to protest her mother's words. "Not true! We just wanted to step outside, that's all."

Poppyfrost snorted. "You're five moons old. If you lot keep acting up, then Squirrelstar will never make you apprentices."

This threat was apparently enough to scare Wolfkit, for she let out an indignant shriek and ran in Starsplash's direction. "Starsplash, you'll train me, right?"

Starsplash chuckled and grabbed the kit, pulling her onto her belly. "Maybe, maybe not. We'll have to see. Though if I were you, I'd enjoy my kithood while I can."

Ferncloud chuckled, the elder's ears flicking gently. "Oh, if only your kit self could hear that. I still remember how you used to moan and whine for hours about how you'd never be a warrior, how Firestar would never let you grow up. Dawnfur once gave you to me for a few hours just so she could get some shut-eye!"

Starsplash hissed playfully at her, eyes narrowed. "Be quiet, you lump of fur, or you don't get dinner tonight!"

"Is that any way to talk to your elders?" Ferncloud huffed, turning away. "I sure hope you don't teach any apprentice of yours to talk that way to me."

Feathercloud sighed and padded up, licking between his mother's ears in lieu of a greeting. "She didn't mean it, mother."

Ferncloud smiled softly and pulled her son down gently, licking his cheek. "I know, my little mouse. We were simply playing."

Starsplash yawned, standing up. Wolkit yipped, trying to hang on with her kitten-sharp claw, but after a few seconds, she fell to the floor with a thump. She ran back to her mother, crying for sympathy.

"You heading out?" Feathercloud asked, flicking his ears. His eyes shone like little stars, and he flicked his tail. "I could use a chance to stretch my legs."

Starsplash shrugged. "Sure. I'd love some company."

After a quick goodbye to Lakeflower, who was currently trying to remember how often she assigned everyone to patrols, the two set off to the north. Starsplash let out a quiet sigh at the scent of wildflowers blossoming under the curtain of trees. Beneath her paws, a small sprig of violets grew, and she smiled at the small petals that fluttered at her little breaths.

She scented the surrounding area, and the faint scent of a fox washed over her. She wrinkled her nose with disgust and turned to Feathercloud, his face equally disgusted. "Did you uncover fox dung, Feathercloud?"

He shook his head. "It's probably just passing through. If we see a Shadowclan patrol, we should probably-"

A shrill shriek split the comfortable conversation of the two, Feathercloud's eyes split wide. "That's Wolfkit!"

Starsplash felt the floor fall away beneath her paws, and she ran blindly towards the sound, the scent of fox growing stronger by the pawstep. Feathercloud ran at her heels, fear-scent rolling off him and practically marking the undergrowth. Starsplash suspected that she was in the same state, but the cry of Sedgekit distracted her.

"Get away from us!"

Starsplash burst through the foliage a moment too late, horrified as the jaws of a young fox closed around Sedgekit's back. His shrieks died as it held on, his paws hanging limply from its bloodied jaws.

Starsplash let out a scream of anguish and launched herself at the fox, sinking her fangs into the fox's ear. The mother fox shrieked and dropped Sedgekit, who fell in a tattered heap to the forest floor. _Live, little one!_ She thought, holding onto the fox's back with her claws.

She shrieked as the fox bucked her off, and she went flying into the closest tree. She groaned and got to her feet, vision blurry. Feathercloud snarled and clawed at the fox's flank, the creature yelling and trying to bite at Feathercloud's tail. Starsplash spotted Echokit and Sedgekit lying still on the forest floor and rushed forward.

Poor Echokit's eyes were glazed over, her fur tattered and matted with blood. One of the fox's teeth stuck out of her shoulder, white and uncracked. Sedgekit lay beside his adoptive sister, his chest still. _No…_

She turned at a small squeak and saw Nightkit watching with wide eyes. "Echokit! Sedgekit! C'mon, get up!" he cried, shaking fiercely. His black fur dripped with the blood of his sister, but he seemed too scared to care.

Feathercloud leaped beside her, shoulder bleeding from where the fox had bitten him. "I can't hold out much longer," he panted, eyes dulled from pain, his pupil blown wide with adrenaline.

Starsplash ran through the options in her head. The fox was young, and its mother was probably somewhere nearby. She was dazed, and Feathercloud couldn't defend both her and Nightkit against the fox, which was limping nearby, its leg bleeding and broken. _There's no way we're all making it out of here._

She thought for a moment, then turned to Feathercloud. "Head back home. Take Nightkit with you." She pointed her tail to where the black kit was cowering. "I'll hold off the fox as long as I can."

Feathercloud's eyes widened. "Starsplash, you won't be able to survive this."

Starsplash nodded, her throat tightening. "I know what I'm doing. Just- go!"

Feathercloud nodded, pressing his forehead to Starsplash's. "Starclan save you," he murmured quietly, before grabbing Nightkit's scruff and bounding towards camp.

Starsplash turned to the fox, snarling fiercely. "Well, you mange-breath? You killed these kits, and now I'm going to kill you!"

The fox snarled, brown eyes dilated and vicious. It launched itself at her, jaws barely missing her leg as she leaped backward. She stumbled, tripping as a root caught her foot. The fox took the opportunity and sunk its teeth into her belly.

Starsplash shrieked as the ugly brute ripped her apart, pain spreading through every part of her. She could feel her clawing grow weaker as the fox shook her. Her own blood stained both her pelt and the muzzle of the fox, and she dimly noted that the fox had a scar across its face matching her own claw-marks. _You again?_ she wondered, but her thoughts were cut short as the Fox dropped her and retreated, the sound of warriors filling the forest.

As her vision dimmed, Starsplash saw a dark ginger shape rush forward, blue eyes wide and wet. "Starsplash! Starsplash, please stay alive! Don't die, please!"

She would have responded, but her mouth was filled with blood. She instead tried for a smile, as she felt her limbs grow heavy. She felt her eyes fall shut...

 _She blinked. Her pelt, which moments before had been bloody and ragged, now shone softly. She stood, her limbs soft and supple, and pranced around a bit. The fox's body lay stiff and unmoving a few tail-lengths away, Lakeflower and Toadstep standing over it. She looked where she had been a moment ago and was shocked to see her own corpse, lying there in a heap in the dirt._

" _Starsplash?" came a quiet voice. She turned, her heart swelling at the sight of a small cream tom._

" _Burntkit!" she cried, rushing forward to nuzzle her brother. "What- what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Starclan?"_

 _The tom smiled softly, his eyes filled with wisdom far beyond his moons. "You're dead, sister. We're going home."_

 _Starsplash turned back to her corpse, where Sagewhisker was pressing her face against her body. "But… what will happen to my mate? I can't leave her behind."_

 _Ignoring Burntkit's warnings, she moved forward, until she was next to Sagewhisker. She gently licked her mate's shoulder, and the ginger she-cat shivered, her eyes going wide. "_ Starsplash _?" she murmured softly._

 _The warrior stood, eyes wide and frantic._ "Starsplash, is that you? Are you a spirit?"

 _Starsplash's heart ached, and she longed to bury her face into Sagewhisker's fur, but she knew that her time was running short. She turned to Burntkit. "Will she be okay?" Starsplash asked him quietly._

 _Burntkit smiled and nodded. "She will be in pain, but she will move on. Beyond that, I can't say."_

 _Starsplash smiled and padded forward, a path of stars forming before her paws. "What about Mom and Dad? Are they okay?"_

" _Oh, yeah! We're all waiting for you!" As Burntkit rambled on, Starsplash passed forward. For her, the story had ended. But she knew that there was so much more._

 **So, yeah! Starsplash is dead. No reincarnation, no fake-outs. She's pretty much out of the story for realsies. I'm planning on continuing the story through another perspective once this whole 'back-to-school' thing finally pans out, and I can relax and get back to creative writing. Sorry for not having a more satisfying ending, but I'm exhausted, and my eyes are burning right now. Love you guys, I really do.**

 **This story has been a ride, from beginning to end. I'm seriously crying a little right now. From those of you who've stuck with me since the allegiances, to those of you who just picked up the story. I love each and every one of you, and I couldn't have done it without you guys.**


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